Sonic Adventure 2: Cream the Rabbit's Story
by One Winged Angel666
Summary: What explained Cream the rabbit's appearance in SA2: The Alternate Ending? Join Cream the rabbit through the events leading up to the alternate ending through her perspective rather than Shadow's.
1. Chapter 1

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

By OneWingedAngel666

Chapter 1

"So, tell us," I said to Amy Rose, the pink hedgehog, as she, Cheese the chao, and I rode on a boat in the middle of a large ocean, to Prison Island, "why are you involving Cheese and I when I should be at home with Mommy and Big the cat?"

"Chao," said Cheese, which I believed translated to, "Yeah, why involve us?"

"Because," said Amy, "You and your pet chao were useful alongside the rest of our friends, during our battle against the ancient liquid monster, Chaos, and I thought you'd be useful again. Sonic was wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, which was robbing a jewelry bank of a Chaos Emerald, and we need to rescue him from the GUN military's Prison Island even if it means getting ourselves killed to do so."

"Right," I replied. "I just hope that whatever it is that you have up your giant, white gloves actually works." I then said to Cheese, "Right, Cheese?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Don't worry your little heads off, Cream, Cheese," said Amy. "Even if it's just the three of us versus an entire military organization, surely we'll get to Sonic on time."

After hours of riding on the boat, we managed to make it to a large military carrier floating on the water besides a large tropical island. On the carrier were Dr. Eggman, Rouge the bat, who helped us defeat Chaos, and some strange, black hedgehog that reminded us of Sonic.

"You've got to joking," Amy said as she looked at the black hedgehog. "Sonic escaped and never had the chance to tell us how? The nerve of him!"

"Um," I said to Amy, "that's not really Sonic. Sonic's blue, and that hedgehog over there is black."

"So what," Amy asked. "It's Sonic, and playing the hero who would put himself in danger like always, he managed to escape! Although I have to wonder what he was doing with Eggman and Rouge."

As we drove the boat near the ladder leading up to the top of the carrier, we climbed up and walked toward the black hedgehog. Amy quickly hugged the black hedgehog tightly as she said, "Sonic! I was so worried that the GUN army would execute you!" She then let go of the black hedgehog as she then said to Rouge, "I don't know why you and Eggman are with each other again, but I have to thank you for saving Sonic for us." She then took out her hammer as she faced Eggman and said to us, "As for Eggman, he's just a sitting duck! Let's take him down before he does any damage to us or this island!"

"O-kay," said the black hedgehog curiously, as he faced Eggman and said, "How come that pink hedgehog confused me with your arch-nemesis that you told me about, whom I framed without realizing it?"

"Oh," said Eggman as he faced Cheese, Amy, and I, "them? Those two forest animals and the rabbit-girl's pet fairy probably came to rescue their blue friend, perhaps even use you as evidence to clear Sonic's name!"

"So," said the black hedgehog, menacingly facing us, "those three are Sonic's friends, and they've come to rescue that hedgehog I framed."

"See, Amy," I said to her, "what did we tell you? That's not Sonic because that hedgehog in front of us is black, not blue."

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Well," said Amy, aiming her hammer at the black hedgehog, "if that fake hedgehog is not Sonic, but rather the guy that framed him, then I guess we have to fight him!" She then faced Rouge and said, "As for you, Rouge, you should join us in taking down that hedgehog and using him as evidence to clear Sonic's name!"

"Um," replied Rouge the bat, "I could, but... I..."

"Rouge is with me again," said Eggman. "I don't know what her plans are with me or why she's helping me again, but one thing's for sure she's helping us with our plans to dominate the world!"

"Right," said Amy. "Normally, I'd be all like 'Rouge, why are you doing this?' But we still trust Rouge, even if she sided with you, because at any point she'll betray you and side with us again, because as she said before, she's a GUN agent." She then faced Cheese and I and said, "Right guys?"

Cheese and I nodded our heads in agreement.

"I see," said the black hedgehog as he faced Rouge, "a double-agent. I could deal with you, Rouge, but you're still needed to steal the three Chaos Emeralds within the GUN army's vault." He then faced us as he said, "As for you three, you're threats to our plans to destroy this pitiful planet, just like my blue look-a-like you're trying to rescue, and for that you must die."

"You also have your part to play," Eggman said to the black hedgehog. "I'll handle the girls and their fairy, you handle your part in our plans with this island!"

"You're joking, right," said the black hedgehog. "They're just a bunch of little girls and a fairy, and I'm the Ultimate Lifeform. I can easily destroy them with just my weak left-hand's pinky-finger, let alone my Chaos Control!"

"Do your job," Eggman demanded.

"Hmph," said the black hedgehog. "Fine." He then faced us as he said, "I just hope Eggman finishes you off so that I won't have to." He then opened a black portal with his right hand and disappeared behind it, while Rouge flew away with her wings.

Cheese, Amy, and I then faced Eggman, getting ready for battle, as he then pressed a button on his wrist-watch, causing him to dress-up from his normal scientist clothes, to a powerful robotic-suit, which gives him incredible physical strength and speed in battle. "The two of your and your chao won't be so bad, no won't you," he asked. "Once I destroy you, there won't be anyone left to save Sonic from his scheduled execution. And once he's out of the way, I'll have a lot of stress of my back once and for all!"

"Tell us," I said. "Who was that black hedgehog? Why did he frame Sonic, and why is he helping you?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Oh, him," asked Eggman. "He's just some whiney, emotional cry-baby who hates his own dark past. Because he possesses Chaos Control despite his endless years of sorrow and pain, he can easily crush your blue friend just by thinking about it, leaving me to rule the world without Sonic or any of you and the rest of your forest-animal friends getting in my way!"

"You didn't give us his name, though," Amy said.

"Right," said Eggman, "how impolite of him and I to not introduce him! His name is Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Lifeform, and my grandfather's fifty-year-old creation! But enough talk!" Eggman then went into his fighting stance as he said, "You may have me outnumbered three-to-one, but I can still crush you like the forest woodland animals you are!"

"Don't you mean _four_-on-one," asked a familiar voice. We then looked up in the sky as we saw two missiles flying at Eggman. As Eggman went into his blocking-position, the missiles quickly collided with him and blew up in front of him. A blue, familiar-looking airplane then appeared from the sky as it landed toward us. It was Tails the fox, flying his trademark plane, the Tornado, coming to rescue us! As he jumped out of his plane, he then asked us, "What are you doing here? Eggman nearly killed you!"

"So what," Amy said to Tails, "we were about to fight Eggman when you showed up, playing the hero and all!"

As Tails and Amy faced each other, Cheese and I faced the smoke as it cleared away, revealing Eggman in his blocking position, as I said, "Um, guys?"

"What," replied Tails and Amy. The two looked at Eggman, who went back to his fighting stance.

"Great," said Eggman. "Just what I needed. A fourth opponent to team up with the others to gang-up on me!"

"Tell me," Tails said to Eggman, "did you have anything to do with that black hedgehog that framed Sonic, the black hedgehog I saw on the news?"

"Why do you ask," Eggman replied.

"Because," said Tails, "you've always wanted Sonic out of your way. I know you're involved in some way or another!"

"I don't know how you figured it out," said Eggman, "but there's no sense hiding it from you, is there? Yes, I'm involved with that black hedgehog, and with his powers over time and space I shall defeat your blue friend and rule the world!"

Tails then went to his fighting stance and said, "Well, I've come to save Sonic from the GUN army and use that black hedgehog as evidence to clear Sonic's name. If you're really involved with that black hedgehog, then Amy, Cream, Cheese, and I will have to fight you!"

"Funny you should say that," said Amy, "because we're also trying to save Sonic!"

"All the more reason to have you help me fight that overweight scientist," replied Tails.

"You'll regret coming to fight me," said Eggman. "Even if you defeat me, that black hedgehog will always come to avenge my defeat and overpower you with his Chaos Control. Now, come at me!"

The four of us battled Eggman to the death, as Eggman used his martial arts skills, powered by his robotic-suit, and a variety of other weapons and gadgets, like the ball-and-chain, missiles, and bombs. But, despite his overwhelming power, the four of us had our teamwork just like the previous times we fought him, and in the end we've managed to defeat him again.

"Ungh," groaned Eggman as he kneeled to the ground. As the four of us cornered him, Eggman said, "Damn you to Hell! Even if you defeat me, you're still just a bunch of regular forest animals, just like Sonic, compared to Shadow, and with his powers I shall have my revenge on all of you!" Eggman then flew away with his winged jetpack strapped on his back and escaped from us.

"We did it," I said as I high-fived Cheese.

"There's no time to celebrate," Tails said to the three of us. "I'm glad you guys were here to help me. Perhaps if we work together again, like old times, we might rescue Sonic!"

"But what about the military," I asked. "They might have impenetrable security that not even we can go through!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Don't worry," said Tails. "If we can defeat someone as powerful as Eggman, then surely we can do something else as impossible as rescue Sonic. I just hope that that black hedgehog doesn't reach us first."

"Then let's go before any GUN soldiers spot us," said Amy, as she, Tails, Cheese, and I entered the base.


	2. Chapter 2

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 2

After sneaking past the guards within the prison, we've managed to arrive at Sonic's cell, which contained our blue friend. He was sitting by the corner of his cell, looking like he's sleeping, as he then heard us and said, "So you've come." As he walked toward the bars, he then said, "If you're going to execute me, make it as quick and painless as possible, I've got nothing against..." As he faced us, he then shockingly said, "Tails! Amy! Cream and Cheese! This place has enough security to kill a thousand rampaging elephants! How did you get in?"

"There's no time to explain," said Tails, as he took out a security card he stole from one of the guards during our infiltration of the prison. He then swiped the card into the keyhole, as the cell bars instantly lowered themselves.

"Although I'm grateful that you guys nearly died to rescue me," said Sonic, "it's that fake hedgehog that framed me that worries me the most."

"We know," said Amy. "We met him on the way here, and I mistook him for you."

"Let us help you find and capture that hedgehog," I said, "so that we can use him to clear your name!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"You're joking, right," said Sonic. "I mean, I'm not saying that you're useless, which you aren't, by the way. You did prove yourselves when you helped me save Station Square from Chaos. It's just that Shadow is too powerful even with all five of us ganging-up on him. It's best that you escape while I distract that hedgehog, who could be somewhere on this island, as you guys said, you met him on the way here."

"No," said Amy.

"She's right," said Tails. "Chaos nearly corrupted you once, used your fears for our safety to manipulate you into doing bad things for him! Don't let your fear for our safety conquer you again!"

"I'm sorry," said Sonic. "But don't worry, if anytime that hedgehog nearly has me cornered and you guys managed to escape, I'll escape with you, provided that I find an escape boat since I can't swim."

"But," I said.

"No buts," said Sonic, as he quickly ran off from us at his trademark super speed.

"What do we do now," I asked Amy and Tails.

"Chao, chao," replied Cheese.

"One thing we _can_ do," said Tails. "Disobey Sonic's orders and see if we can rescue him again before that fake hedgehog kills him again."

"But what if Sonic is right," I asked. "What if that black hedgehog proves to be too powerful, like Eggman said he would?"

"Eggman's bluffing," said Amy. "That fake hedgehog is just that: A fake hedgehog. Whatever tricks he has underneath his giant gloves, we'll be able to survive them."

"Then I guess we have to go with you guys," I said. "But I promise you, Cheese and I will protect you and Sonic, like last time!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

The four of us then escaped from the prison, back above the carrier, and went back to our boat, as we drove it toward the island. As we arrived to the island, we searched endlessly for Sonic and his whereabouts, hoping that this black hedgehog didn't kill Sonic.

After hours of searching, we hid behind a bush as we helplessly saw Sonic, lying on the ground in front of Shadow, who was covered in a black, shadowy aura. As he walked toward Sonic and stomped his foot on our friend's chest, Shadow then said, "Tell me, you normal hedgehog, why do you fight me when you know you stand no chance of surviving, let alone victory?"

"Ungh," groaned Sonic.

Shadow then faced us within our hiding spots. "You've got to be kidding me," said Tails.

"How did he spot us within our hiding spot," I asked.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Who cares," Amy said, taking out her hammer, as she then said, "All that matters is that we save Sonic!" Amy then charged at Shadow with her hammer, as Shadow instantly and effortlessly blocked the attack.

Desperate to save Amy, Cheese and I then charged at Shadow as I used mine and Cheese's chao attack to strike at Shadow, who also blocked our attack. Shadow then aimed the palms of his hands at us and released an invisible force that pushed us backward. It was so strong that it felt like being hit by a flying cannonball. However, that didn't stop us from getting up back on our feet, in our fighting stances, as Tails popped out of the bushes to get Sonic back on his feet, carried by his shoulders. Amy, Cheese, and I then went to Sonic's side as the five of us faced Shadow together.

"I see," said Shadow. "So, your friends are the reason for your persistence." Shadow then shut his eyes, fell silent for the moment, and shed a tear down his right eye. My friends and I were confused; perhaps Eggman's right, Shadow maybe a monster but he's also as he said: An emotional cry-baby who hates his dark past. He shed a tear because of something in his past, as Eggman said.

"Shadow, is it," I asked. "Eggman told us you're emotional and hate your own dark past. Why are you crying, when you nearly killed Sonic?"

After a few seconds of silence, Shadow then said, "Because... your blue friend is a normal, pathetic hedgehog, weaker than me and possessing none of the power to defeat me. He's just a mere forest animal, and I am the Ultimate Lifeform. And yet, unlike me, a lonely monster who's hated and feared by the world for merely being who I am, he managed to do a better job at protecting you guys than I did with Maria."

"Who's Maria," Amy asked.

Shadow was silent again, as he started to shed a few more tears down his eyes. Before he could speak, Eggman's voice then said to Shadow's right ear, "Shadow, what are you doing? The island is set to explode! Get Rouge out of here if you can and meet me outside!"

"The place is set to explode," asked Sonic.

"Hmph," said Shadow, as he wiped his tears off his face. "I just hope that the bombs I placed around the island finishes off what I started. But if you can escape on time, then surely we might meet again." Shadow then created another black portal and escaped into it, disappearing.

"What are we going to do," I asked. "The Tornado is too far from here! How do we..."

"Is this all you ever do, Cream," Amy asked me, "whine and complain about the various dangers we can easily survive?"

"Right," I said. "Sorry."

"Chao," said Cheese.

"Hold on to me tightly," said Sonic, as Amy held on to her back while Tails and I held on to his hands, with Cheese holding on to my neck. Sonic then ran fast and dragged us along. He ran so fast it felt like we were riding on a bullet. At his trademark speed, he ran above the water, up the carrier containing the Tornado, and we quickly headed onto the plane. Tails ignited the engines, and the plane we were on flew as quickly off the island as possible as a massive explosion covering the entire Prison Island was created.

"Phew," Tails sighed in relief.

"We've managed to escape the explosion," I cheered.

"Chao, chao," Cheese said excitingly.

"Don't get your hopes up," said Sonic, as he then pointed to his left. As we faced our left, we discovered Eggman, flying in his hoverpod with Rouge and Shadow as they looked down on us. Shadow then shedded another tear, as they flew away from us.

"I've been wondering, Sonic," said Amy. "Who was that Maria Shadow mentioned."

"I don't know," said Sonic. "But, I think that deep down inside of that wild monster that nearly killed me is an innocent hedgehog that wants the freedom to live normally, and friends to care for him."

"We know that," I said. "Eggman said to us that Shadow was some whiney cry-baby who hates his dark past. That Maria girl was probably someone precious to him, and he misses her so much."

"Then surely," said Sonic, "if we can help Shadow with his loneliness problem, if we can redeem him even if it means getting ourselves killed in the process, he might want to help us save the world rather than help Eggman conquer it."

"And then," said Tails, "he might have new friends to protect and care for, in the form of us."

"But how are we going to do that," Amy asked.

"We'll have to stake our lives on whatever we can do to help him before he kills us," said Sonic. "Right, Tails, Cream, Cheese."

"Yeah," Tails and I agreed.

"Chao," said Cheese.

"And what about Eggman and Rouge," asked Amy.

"We might have to stop Eggman again," said Tails. "As for Rouge, because she's still on our side even though she's on Eggman's again, even though she's so mysterious, surely she'd learn about Shadow's sadness as well."

"And if that's the case," said Sonic, "she might have to break her cover-up to help us save Shadow from himself."

And so, after our conversation, we flew away back to the city of Station Square, where we would try to find out what to do next.


	3. Chapter 3

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 3

It soon became night-time, when Tails flew the five of us on his Tornado plane to his workshop, where he landed inside and quickly closed the doors behind us. As we got off the plane, we were shocked to discover Vanilla the rabbit - my Mommy - and my Mommy's family-friend, Big the cat, whose pet frog, Froggy, was on his right shoulder.

"Mommy," I called, "Big!" I quickly ran up to them and hugged them out of relief as they hugged me back.

"Oh," said Mommy, "We're glad you're safe!"

"Don't yah make yah ol' lady and yah Big the cat worried," said Big, in his heavy scottish accent.

As the three of us let go of each other, we then faced Sonic, Tails, and Amy, as Mommy then said, "And it seems you've managed to rescue Sonic. I knew that you'd sacrifice everything to save him like any growing girl would."

"Yah jokin', right Vanilla," asked Big. "This be our wee laddie we be talkin' about! Even with Tails 'n Amy protecting 'er, she be puttin' herself near death's doorway!"

"Big," I said, "I thought we've gotten over this, ever since we fought Chaos and won."

"She's right, you know," said Mommy.

"Fine," said Big. "But there be a good ol' reason for us to be 'ere, and we be about to explain it."

"Funny you should ask," said Amy, "because we were wondering why you were here."

"We've watched the news," said Mommy, "and we didn't trust any of their lies. The hedgehog we saw wasn't Sonic because he was black, and Sonic's blue."

"Yah also became wanted fugitives," said Big, "by rescuin' yah blue friend from Prison Isle."

"Which is why we came here," said Mommy, "so that we'd be the ones to protect you rather than just the other way around."

"Your kidding us, right," asked Tails. "If GUN found out that you've been harboring fugitives, they'll capture or kill you, too! Besides, how are you going to do that?"

"Remember that pond where my daughter, Cream, and Big would usually fish at," asked Mommy. "I have several straws cleverly disguised as bamboo to breathe out of while we hide underneath the pond."

"Once the coast be clearin'," said Big, "can we be makin' our escape."

"But," I said, "if the GUN army catch us hiding with you, the two of you will die! And besides, neither Sonic nor Amy know how to swim, so how are they going to get out of the pond as soon as the coast is clear?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Non' of us be carin'," said Big, "as long as Big and Vanilla be protectin' yah arses from the folks who mistook Sonic for that black 'edgehog. Besides, I be possessin' strength of an elephant, I can always git yah two 'edgehog friends out of me fishin' pond."

"Then I guess we have no other choice but to trust you guys," said Sonic.

"But Sonic," I said to him, "Mommy and Big will die or get captured!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Face the facts," said Sonic. "Unless we capture and use Shadow as evidence to prove my innocence, GUN won't believe squat no matter what we say to them. We need to find Eggman and Shadow and stop them before GUN captures any of us. Fighting GUN will only worsen our problems as they'd only send even more of them to kill or capture us."

"Yeah," said Amy, "I agree with you, Sonic. Besides, deep down inside that fake hedgehog is a normal one that just wants friends and a free life."

"What," asked Big and Mommy shockingly.

"Although I hate to admit it," said Sonic, "everything Amy said to you guys is right. When my friends encountered Eggman on their way to rescue me, Eggman said to them that Shadow was some 'whiney, emotional cry-baby who hates his dark past.' We even saw Shadow shed a tear and mention something about some girl named Maria."

"The fake 'edgehog," said Big, "be sheddin' a tear?"

"And who's Maria," asked Mommy.

"Who knows," said Sonic. "But, if we can help Shadow with his little problems and become friends with him, he might want to turn himself to the authorities to clear my name in return."

"But," said Tails, "how are we going to help Shadow? He's a ruthless psychopath, like Eggman, and if we try to talk to him rather than fight him, he might kill us no matter how much he listens to us!"

"Then we'll need to beat him up until he surrenders," said Sonic. "He maybe more powerful than all of us put together, but as long as we're persistent, he might want to reconsider fighting us no matter how many times he knocks us down."

"Mwuah ha ha ha ha ha ha," laughed a familiar voice. We turned our attention toward a small television on Tails' desk to discover Dr. Eggman's face on the screen, smiling menacingly as he said, "As of right now, I'm broadcasting my threats to your very lives via every last television monitor all over the world, just so that I can display my newly gained power! Once you gaze at everything I have that I can use against you, you'll definitely want to bow down to me as your new lord and master, if only to keep yourselves alive as my new slaves!" The screen then switched to a strange-looking space-station, which had a rocky top-side, and an underside shaped like Eggman's face. It reminded us of that horrible weapon Eggman used to build, the Death Egg, which nearly destroyed the world. But this was not the Death Egg, because it didn't look like it, but we could feel chills down our very spines when we gazed upon the sight of that evil-looking space-station.

The space-station had a cannon in the shape of Eggman's nose, as it slowly aimed at the moon. It then charged a strange light from the cannon, as it fired a giant beam of light at the moon, massively blowing up half of it in the process. The screen then switched to a timer that counted down from twenty-four hours. "Mwuah ha ha ha ha ha ha," laughed Eggman.

"We have twenty-four hours before that giant cannon does likewise to us," said Amy, "as it did to the moon?"

"How could something like that cannon be able to destroy the moon," I asked.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Either Eggman's grown more powerful and bold," said Sonic, "or he's even more of an idiot than we'd expect."

"The Chaos Emerald," cried Tails, as he ran toward his desk, opened a shelf, and took out a yellow Chaos Emerald. As he displayed the emerald to us, he then continued, "The Chaos Emeralds are connected to each other. If we can use the one I have to locate the other six, we might find Eggman and Shadow."

"Now that's some quick thinking," said Sonic.

We were then startled by a voice saying, "This is the GUN military! We have thermal goggles, allowing us to see your body heat through that door. You can't hide from us! Come out now and surrender, or we will open fire!"

"It's the GUN army," cried Mommy.

"They've found us," said Amy.

"'n they be sayin' that they got those thermal goggles," said Big.

"We can't hide in the pond like you suggested," said Sonic. "It's best that we make our escape in Tails Tornado plane while you two and Froggy get out of here and hide somewhere."

"Don't yah worry," said Big. "I be a natural fightah. I promise yah I be protectin' Vanilla with me life."

"Then let me Cheese and I help you protect Mommy," I said.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Did somethin' went into yah 'ead," Big asked me.

"Yeah," said Sonic. "You're just a little girl and her small family against a vaste horde of GUN soldiers! They'll kill you!"

"Sonic," said Amy, "don't you remember how well Cream and her chao fought? They can defend themselves against all those minor GUN grunts, no matter how numerous they are! Besides, she's willing to die for her family." Amy then faced Tails and said, "Right, Tails?"

"Um, yeah," said Tails, "I guess you're right."

"I be agreein' with yah blue friend," said Big. "This fat cat ain't gonna let Vanilla's baby girl and 'er fairy get themselves killed in battle!"

"Big," said Mommy, "if Cream says she wants to defend us with her life, then let her. She maybe putting herself in danger, but she's a growing girl, and it's best that we respect her growing girl decisions even though it would mean watching her die tragically."

Big then thought to himself, as the soldiers behind the door knocked again, one of them saying, "Open the door now and surrender!"

"Fine," said Big. "But we be protectin' each other and yah life, Vanilla. If one of us dies, then we be havin' no one to blame but us-selves 'n those soldiers."

"Thank you, Big," I said.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Now, 'urry," said Big to Sonic, Tails, and Amy, "while we be buyin' yah time, git out via yah plane!"

"Thanks," said Amy. "I promise you, your sacrifices won't be in vain."

Sonic, Tails, and Amy then got on the Tornado as they quickly flew away from Tails' workshop, into the sky. Meanwhile, Big, Cheese, and I faced Mommy as I said, "It's best that you stay inside Tails' workshop while we handle those mean men."

"Promise me that you won't die," said Mommy.

"Don't yah worry yah little 'ead off," said Big. "I promise yah, Cream, 'er fairy, and Big and 'is Froggy will protect yah."

Big, Cheese, and I then walked toward the front door and opened it, as in front of us was a horde of GUN soldiers aiming their guns at us. One of the soldiers then said, "Cream the Rabbit, you are under arrest for breaking into Prison Island and freeing Sonic the Hedgehog from his imprisonment. Put your hands on the ground and surrender, or we'll be forced to open fire on you!"

Thinking quickly, I then whispered to Big and Cheese, "Just do as he says."

"Yah jokin'," whispered Big, "right?"

"Don't worry," I whispered to Big and winked my right eye in front of him.

"Oh," whispered Big after paying attention to my wink, "right!"

"Put your hands on the ground," said one of the soldiers, "and surrender, now!"

Big, Cheese, and I slowly placed our hands on the ground and surrendered. The GUN soldiers then lowered their guns as two of them started to take out their handcuffs and slowly walk toward us. As the soldiers got close enough, Cheese and I got up on our feet as Cheese and I summoned our Chao Tornado attack, creating a powerful tornado that blew all of the soldiers off their feet and knocked them on their backs.

"This isn't right," said one of the soldiers. "How can a little girl and her blue fairy be able to possess such power?"

"Who cares," said another soldier, as he and a few others got up, "there's only two of them and their pets, and many of us with our guns. It's best that we capture or kill them now before they do likewise to us!"

"Right," said the other soldiers.

As Big got back up on his feet, he then said, "Don't yah worry, Cream, I be protectin' yah and yah ol' lady!"

"Not unless I protect you and Mommy, first," I said to Big.

From there, Big with his fishing rod, and I with Cheese, would fight the GUN soldiers for ours and Mommy's lives. There were many of them, but we were able to handle them all in a matter of a few minutes.

As the soldiers lied down on the ground, one of them said, "How could a little girl and her giant cat friend be able to humiliate us in combat?"

"Yeah," said another soldier. "This is going to go badly on us as soldiers."

"What will the commander say when he finds out we failed to capture a measley two forest-woodland animals, the girl's mother, and their pets," asked a third soldier.

"I suggest you leave it up to me," said a voice coming out of nowhere.

"Who said that," I said. As the soldiers slowly got back up, all of us then saw a giant green, red, and yellow mech walking toward us with its two legs.

"Right," said one of the soldiers, looking at the mech. "The PM-56x Cold-Fang."

"And it's with this baby," said the pilot inside the mech, "can I stand even a small chance against those two and their fairy and frog."

"Do yah think sendin' out somethin' three-times our size can save yah," asked Big to the mech's pilot.

"Yeah," I said. "We won't let you hurt or kill me or any of my friends and family!"

"Such courage," said the mech-pilot, "coming from someone _that_ suicidal and stupid! If we can't arrest you, then I must kill you with my PM-56x Cold-Fang! And once I'm done with you, Sonic and his adoptive brother and girlfriend will be next on our hit-list!"

And so, Big, Cheese, and I fought the Cold-Fang mech for our lives and Mommy's life, too. It had a mini-gun, several missiles, and a powerful laser, but despite its size and weaponry it was no match fo us. After an hour of fighting, we've managed to destroy the Cold-Fang. As it lied on the ground, destroyed, the mech-pilot came out of his cockpit, heavily wounded, as he said, "Where did a little girl, her pet fairy, and her oversized cat friend learn to fight like this?"

"This isn't right," said one of the soldiers. "If they're able to defeat even the Cold-Fang, then that means..."

"Temporary retreat," cried another soldier, as they and the mech-pilot, leaving the destroyed Cold-Fang mech behind, ran away from us with their lives.

"Cream," cried Mommy's voice, "Big!" We then turned around and faced Mommy as she ran out the front door of Tails' workshop, as she said, "I've watched the whole thing from the window. I thought you were going to die in battle!"

"Well," said Big, "we're standin' in front of yah, breathin' fresh-air like any live person would do."

"We also protect you and each other," I said. "Aren't you happy we won?"

"Yes," said Mommy. "I'm glad you've survived and won. I don't know how to repay you except say thanks."

"No repayment for us," said Big. "Yah just live yah life all 'appy-like and such."

"Which leaves Sonic, Tails, and Amy," I said. "They could be in danger, and I need to go into the city and rescue them before they die or get hurt or captured."

"No," said Big. "Yah be stayin' with us! We can't risk sendin' yah sorry tail into battle while we be twiddlin' our fingers and wait for yah to come back safely!"

"If Cream and her friend, Cheese, wishes to rescue Sonic, Tails, and Amy," said Mommy, "it's best that we respect her wishes. After all, as I said before, she's a growing girl, and growing girls can stand up for themselves even though we're putting our girl's life on the line."

"But," said Big.

"Mommy's right," I said. "I don't want to do nothing while a group of heroes do all the work to the point of dying. I need to rescue them!"

"Chao, chao," Cheese said.

Big then thought to himself, and after a minute of thinking, he then said, "Fine. Be off with yah! Promise us yah won't die."

"Don't worry," I said. "I promise you, Cheese and I will survive and save Sonic, Tails, and Amy."

"Then come back safely," said Mommy. Cheese and I then ran down the mountain-side toward the city, leaving behind Mommy and Big while hoping that the GUN soldiers won't return to capture or kill Big and Mommy. After all, Big's a monster in battle, and surely he'll be able to protect Mommy anytime those mean soldiers came back to them.


	4. Chapter 4

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 4

Cheese and I explored the city of Station Square, searching for Sonic and the others while evading the authorities. We were hiding in a dark alleyway, evading several GUN soldiers as they passed us without spotting us.

"Chao, chao," Cheese whispered to me.

"You're hoping that our friends are safe," I asked Cheese as he nodded. "I know how you feel. Sonic, Tails, Amy, Mommy, and Big were probably captured by those mean soldiers, but I highly doubt the thoughts you have."

"Chao, chao," replied Cheese.

"If you continue complaining," I said to Cheese, "it'll only worsen the situation we're in. It's best that you keep quiet and do everything I say so that the both of us can escape and make it to the others in time."

"Chao," said Cheese worriedly.

"No buts," I replied.

"Psst," said a familiar voice. Cheese and I faced a manhole, with one of our friends, Knuckles the echidna, spotting us. "Over here," whispered Knuckles.

Cheese and I nodded to each other, as the both of us went toward the manhole and continued down into the sewers with Knuckles, as we reunited with Tails, Amy, and Sonic.

As we faced each other, Sonic then said, "About time we'd meet again."

"We thought you, Big, and your mother were going to die or get captured," said Amy.

"So what," I asked. "Cheese, Big, and I defeated several soldiers followed by a giant mech, and in the end all of us were safe and victorious."

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"I knew that eventually," said Tails, "that you, your mother, and Big would survive."

"Yeah," said Knuckles. "After all, you maybe a little girl, but back then you and your pet fairy displayed incredible strength when you helped us defeat Eggman and Chaos."

"Which doesn't explain why you're here, Knuckles," I said to Knuckles.

"Right," said Knuckles, "how rude of me. I was guarding the Master Emerald like usual when Rouge the bat came by to steal it for herself. Then Eggman appeared and tried to steal it, but then that accursed succubus had to develop the nerve to shatter my emerald into several pieces so that she could prevent him from stealing it. I mean, I understand that there's some honor in that thief, but she had to leave me the drudgery of collecting the Master Emeralds shards so that I can rebuild it. During my travels, I heard that Sonic was framed by some fake hedgehog, and that the four of you rescued Sonic from Prison Island before it exploded, and became wanted fugitives along with our blue friend for saving him from being executed or whatever prisoners of GUN get. As I searched for the remaining shards in the city's sewers, I then learned that you guys were evading the authorities, so I thought I'd save your sorry tails by hiding you here. As for you, Cream, Sonic and the others gave me the lowdown on why you were missing."

"Thanks for your concern, Knuckles," I said, "but we're out here hiding from the GUN army with no way to get to Eggman and Shadow without getting captured or killed by them."

"Also," said Knuckles, "just to go off-topic from what you were saying, about the GUN army chasing us, Sonic and the others told me about Shadow."

"You don't mean," I said.

"Yeah," said Knuckles, "that deep down inside of that black monster is a softy with no friends. Tails and Amy also said that Rouge sided with Eggman again, just to get intel for her employers at the GUN army. Surely, as you said, Sonic, she might also realize the truth behind the fake hedgehog and help him with his little problems, even though I highly doubt it."

"Why do you say that," Amy asked.

"I've never travelled outside of my home, Angel Island, much," said Knuckles, "but at least I slightly know what government agencies like GUN are like: They're the equivalent of my ancestors during the war for the Chaos Emeralds. They're ruthless, psychotic, emotionless, and could kill a couple of innocent people just to get rid of the bad guys. They don't even search for diplomatic solutions like we do, either. Even if we were to display Shadow as evidence to prove Sonic's innocence, I highly doubt GUN will be as forgiving to him as we are, as they'll probably torture and execute him rather than let him atone for his crimes."

"You're being doubtful," said Sonic, "and I don't like having doubters amongst my friends."

"Hey," said Knuckles, "I'm just saying here."

"Don't worry," said Sonic, "we don't have a grudge against you or what you said."

"That's all right," said Knuckles.

"Which leaves us to wonder how we're going to get to Eggman and Shadow," I said.

"Right," said Tails as he showed us the yellow Chaos Emerald. "I tried to find the other six emeralds with the one I have, but I learned from the emerald that Eggman must've taken them to outer space, in that space station with the giant cannon that blew up half the moon."

"So what you're trying to say," said Amy, "is that we have to travel to outer space just to get to Eggman?"

"Of course," said Tails. "As soon as the coast is clear, when there aren't any more GUN soldiers finding us, we return to my plane and fly to Eggman's base to steal one of his rocket ships and blast off into that station."

"And when can we tell," I asked.

"We'll probably have to wait a few hours before they go," replied Tails.

"Like heck I will," said Sonic. "I'm the brash, impatient type. By now, the soldiers are probably gone, and I have a sudden urge to get to the Tornado and fly it to Eggman's base."

"Are you an idiot," Knuckles asked Sonic. "To be honest, I also have that urge to head to Tails' plane, but at least I can restrain myself from doing something as suicidal as..." Sonic then left us and ran at super-sonic speed, through the sewer. Knuckles then continued, "The nerve of that hedgehog, didn't even let me finish!"

"Quickly," said Tails, "we need to get to Sonic before he gets himself killed!"

"Right," the rest of us replied, as we followed Sonic to Tails' Tornado plane. As we arrived toward the manhole leading to the plane, we got up the ladder, opened the manhole, and to our shock, discovered Sonic in the plane's pilot seat, with several GUN soldiers' bodies littering the ground.

As we got out of the manhole and back on the street, Tails then said, "Sonic, you used my plane to defeat the various soldiers, didn't you?"

"Hey," said Sonic. "Sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. They gave me no choice, you know." Sonic then jumped out of the pilot's seat and on top of the wings, as he then said to Tails, "Take us to Eggman's base."

"Right," said Tails, as he got into the pilot's seat while Knuckles, Amy, Cheese, and I jumped on the wings. Tails drove his plane through the streets of the city, as it took off high into the air. We were leaving behind the city, as I gazed from afar the mountain behind Station Square, where from far away I saw Mommy and Big gazing at us on Tails' plane. I was glad they were safe from the GUN soldiers, because after all, Big has incredible strength and he always protected Mommy, Cheese, and I even when Eggman kidnapped and imprisoned us inside his robots.


	5. Chapter 5

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 5

Tails was flying Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Cheese, and I on his plane, the Tornado, above the ocean, toward Eggman's base hidden in an Egyptian pyramid, as I said to Tails, "Do you think the GUN army will chase us down in the air?"

"I highly doubt it," said Tails. "After all, we did manage to escape them. Sonic even had to develop the nerve to use _my_ plane to defeat several soldiers without my permission!" He then said to Sonic, "Besides, isn't it out of character for someone like yourself to use vehicles like my plane against the GUN soldiers?"

"What are you talking about," Sonic asked Tails. "There were too many of them and only one of me, and not even my super speed and homing attacks could take them down. I had to rely on any form of extreme measures to save myself, such as using your plane and its weapons against them."

"They also would've killed you," said Knuckles, "even when you were using the Tornado's mini-guns and missiles."

"Knuckles is right," said Amy. "You maybe capable of taking down vast armies of Eggman's robots, but when it comes to the GUN army... well, they _did_ capture and imprison you, after all."

"And you, Tails, Cream, and Cheese were strong enough to break into the GUN army's high-tech, secure prison," said Sonic, "just to save me. If you can do that, then I don't see any reason why I shouldn't defeat a horde of GUN soldiers with Tails' own plane. However, let's not forget about that fake hedgehog, Shadow. Even with all of us working together, while Shadow spends more time whining like a baby about losing that Maria girl, than fighting us, he could kill us in a matter of miliseconds."

"And yet," I said, "you said that we can still help Shadow with his problems and become his new friends, provided that he atones for the damage he delt to you and the world."

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Right," said Sonic. "I've forgot, thanks Cream, Cheese."

"Bogey at nine-'o-clock," said Tails, looking at his plane's radar.

"It's the GUN army again," said Knuckles, "isn't it?"

"No," said Tails. "There's only one of the enemy rather than multitudes of them, and it's behind us. It's rushing at us real fast, faster than my plane can take us!"

As we turned around, we were shocked to discover an angry Shadow the Hedgehog, flying in the air with his jet-powered sneakers, chasing us down while we were flying the Tornado. Shadow then summoned a ball of light in his right hand as it got bigger than his body, and shot the energy ball at the Tornado.

"Tails," yelled Sonic.

"I know what I'm doing," said Tails, as he turned the steering wheel to help the Tornado dodge the energy ball on time. The energy ball then flew far away and exploded in front of us.

Suddenly, Shadow flew toward our plane and landed on top of the left side of the wing, while Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, Cheese, and I stood on the right, as the five of us and one of Shadow faced each other, ready for battle. "I knew you'd survive the explosion on Prison Island," said Shadow, "as well as the various GUN soldiers that hunted you down in the city. I even saw from afar one of you, the rabbit girl with the blue fairy and her giant cat friend with the tailed-frog and fishing rod, destroy a giant GUN mech. All of you might prove much more of a challenge than I could ever imagine."

"Even though you possess enough immense power to destroy all of us put together," asked Knuckles.

"Yeah," said Shadow. "After all, you're a bunch of mortal forest-animals and I'm the Ultimate Lifeform."

"Like heck you're the Ultimate Lifeform," cried Knuckles, as he ran toward Shadow and tossed a punch with one of his giant, spiked fists, which Shadow effortlessly blocked. Shadow would squeeze Knuckles' right fist, as he then unleashed a dark energy that burnt Knuckles' entire body. The red echidna started to scream in agony as all we did was watch helplessly. After dealing enough damage to Knuckles, he was then blasted back to us by a powerful, invisible force created from the palm of Shadow's right hand.

Knuckles was badly hurt, as he slowly got back up on his feet. "Knuckles," said Amy, "did Shadow do anything wrong to you?"

"Not much," said Knuckles. "But the way he was able to block my punch and burn me with such immense dark energy. He really _is_ the monster I'd thought he'd be."

"Then I guess it's my turn," said Amy, taking out her hammer, "to see that immense power for myself."

"Amy," Sonic called, "don't bother!"

"Keep your friends' safety and Shadow's defeat separate, Sonic," said Amy. Amy charged at Shadow with her hammer and attacked him. With just his left arm, Shadow blocked Amy's hammer attack. She then continuously swung her hammer at lightning-fast speed, hoping to at least bruise Shadow, let alone damage him. However, Shadow was much faster than Amy, as he was able to block every last one of her attacks, then countered with a powerful punch that was able to knock Amy back to us.

As Amy got back on her feet, her chest feeling the enormous blow dealt by Shadow's punch, I then said, "Amy, are you okay?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Of course I am, Cream," said Amy. "But Shadow's so fast, faster than even Sonic, let alone all of us put together!"

"You know," Shadow said to us, "if all of you were to attack me at the same time rather than have one of you face me one-on-one, you might at least stand even a small bit of a chance."

"You know," said Sonic, as he entered his fighting stance, "you're right." He then faced us as he said, "Perhaps it's best that we gang-up on him rather than fight him one-on-one."

"Right," Amy, Knuckles, and I agreed. We then charged at Shadow and attacked him as much as possible together. I'd use Cheese for my attacks, while Amy used her hammer, Knuckles used his fists, and Sonic used the martial-arts he developed from his previous adventures. We were so fast that if you could pit us against speeding-bullets, we'd block and dodge a lot of them. However, despite being outnumbered, Shadow dodged and blocked every one of our attacks.

"Tails," Sonic called Tails, "does your plane have auto-pilot?"

"Of course I do," Tails said as he drove his plane.

"We might need your help subduing that fake hedgehog," said Sonic.

"Right," Tails said. Tails then pressed a button on the controls to set the Tornado to auto-pilot, as he got up from his seat, jumped on the wings of his plane, and used the martial-arts Sonic taught him to attack Shadow with our help. Together, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cheese, and I were powerful enough to defeat even Eggman's most powerful robots. However, for some unknown reason, when it came to Shadow, he's able to dodge so many of our attacks that he really is living up to his title as Ultimate Lifeform.

Shadow then bursted dark energy out of his body, which created a force so strong that it knocked the six of us off of Tails' plane. We were about to fall from the sky to the ocean, and it didn't help that Knuckles, Tails, Cheese, and I can swim, but not Sonic and Amy. That is, until Tails pressed a button his wrist-watch, causing the Tornado to fly backward and catch us all before we could splash into the ocean. The plane was still on auto-pilot, as us and Shadow were back on top of the plane's wings, facing each other and getting ready to fight.

"You really are a bunch of persistent forest-animals," said Shadow, "aren't you? I'm able to overpower you all, yet you continue to fight despite the odds stacking against you. Tell me, why do you keep fighting when you know I can kill you in a matter of seconds?"

"Because," Sonic said, "we don't want to kill you. Since you have problems with losing that Maria girl, we thought that maybe we could help you fix your survivor's guilt."

"You're kidding, right," asked Shadow. "Nothing can fix my survivor's guilt, not even you or your friends!"

"Then I guess we'll have to beat our help into you," said Amy. The six of us battled Shadow for an hour or two, yet despite our superior numbers, Shadow was too powerful, possing Chaos Control and a variety of other horrific powers over time and space. But we never gave up despite his overwhelming power, as we continuously got up whenever we were knocked down and fought Shadow for our lives.

Eventually, we arrived at Eggman's base, cleverly disguised as an Egyptian pyramid. Quickly, Tails went back to the pilot's seat, turned off the auto-pilot, and started to land the plane on to the sand while the rest of us distracted Shadow long enough for us to do so. The six of us then took our battle with Shadow on the sand, as we continuously fought him.

However, despite our amazing teamwork, Shadow overwhelmed us. After another hour of fighting, we were kneeling on the sand, writhing in so much horrific pain from Shadow's power. "So much of me aches so badly," said Tails, grasping his chest.

"Why do you say that," asked Sonic. "We can still fight him!"

"But he's too powerful," I said.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Shadow," said Amy, "you don't have to fight us! We want to help you get over the loss of Maria or whoever her name is!"

"Nothing can help me, now," said Shadow. He slowly walked to Sonic as he was about to charge a dark-energy-powered punch to finish him off. All the rest of us could do was watch helplessly as our friend was going to be the first to die by Shadow's hands. Then, out of nowhere, Rouge the bat appeared, grabbed Shadow by the arm he was about to punch Sonic with, and tossed him into the ground.

As we got up, shocked to see Rouge again, she then said to us, "Are you okay?"

"You didn't have to save our lives, you know," said Knuckles. "After all, you're a succubus and a thief who constantly wanted to steal my Master Emerald, and I'm capable of myself and my friends' safeties."

"Yeah," said Amy. "Besides, I thought you were working with Eggman. Why do you want to help us when you were helping that fat scientist?"

"Because," said Rouge, "all of us here knows Dr. Eggman. He's the type to toss away anyone that succeeds him like trash, rather than reward them for a job well done, just so that he can gain all the power for himself. If I succeeded Eggman, he'd toss me aside and leave me to die as well, not like you, who'd treat me like an equal." Rouge then took out a card-key and gave it to Sonic, as she continued, "I stole this card-key from Eggman's red lab-coat without him noticing, so that you can gain access to certain areas of his base that you wouldn't otherwise access."

"And how can we trust you if every time Eggman returns, you'd side with him again," asked Knuckles.

"I'm a GUN agent," replied Rouge. "It's what I do. I'm also not as corrupt as my employers. I mean, I'm corrupted by jewelry, don't get me wrong, but I'm neither 'Eggman' corrupt or 'GUN' corrupt."

"Thanks," said Tails, "I guess..."

"Ungh," said Shadow.

"Now," said Rouge, "get into Eggman's base, steal a rocket ship, and head to the Space Colony ARK before the twenty-four hour time-limit ends!"

"What about you," Amy asked.

Rouge then faced Shadow and went into her fighting stance, as she said, "I'll distract Shadow long enough for you to get inside."

"You'll get killed," I said to Rouge.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Just go," Rouge demanded.

With no other choice, we ran into Eggman's base before Shadow could wake up and notice that we were gone, while Rouge fought Shadow. We also hoped that Rouge would survive Shadow, no matter who's side she was actually supporting.


	6. Chapter 6

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 6

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cheese, and I explored the inside of Eggman's base, destroying any Eggman robot that got in our way and opening the various doors with the card-key Rouge stole from Eggman and gave to us. As we wandered the base, we wondered how Rouge would survive Shadow, let alone help him with Maria's death.

We then arrived at the center of the base, where in front of us was a doorway leading to one of Eggman's rocket ships leading to that space station Rouge called the "ARK". "Well," said Sonic, "we're almost there."

"And to think," said Knuckles, "that we'd never make it here had that thieving succubus not given us that card-key."

"Once we enter the rocket ship leading to that ARK or whatever the space station with the giant cannon is called," said Tails, "there's no turning back. Not until we stop Eggman and save Shadow from himself."

"No wonder I couldn't find my card-key in one of my lab-coat's pockets," said a familiar voice. We then turned around and spotted Eggman himself, as he looked down upon us and said, "It's because Rouge the bat betrayed me again and gave it to you, right?"

"We don't know what Rouge's intentions are," Amy said to Eggman, "but even though she's a thief, she's also our friend and an innocent forest-animal like us!"

"You won't get away with threatening us with that space station with the giant cannon," I said angrily to Eggman.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Also," said Knuckles, "you were watching us, right? Tell us, is Rouge okay? Did she survive Shadow?"

"Of course she had, you stupid egg-laying mammal," said Eggman. "I was hoping that Shadow would finish her off after defeating her in battle, but he had to go all soft on that thief and spare her life, just because she said something to him that caused him to calm down! Perhaps the six of you and your bat-thief friend really _are_ capable of saving Shadow from fifty years of torment."

"Wait," said Sonic, "I understand the 'torment' part, but the 'fifty years' part?"

"We forgot to tell you," Amy said to Sonic, "but despite Shadow looking like he's fifteen, he's actually about fifty-years-old, as Eggman said."

"Your female counterpart's right, Sonic," Eggman said. "Fifty years ago, Shadow was discriminated by the GUN army for being a fake hedgehog created by my granddad, Professor Gerald Robotnik. So, they killed Maria in front of his eyes along with every other person on the ARK that knew about Shadow, Gramps included, and imprisoned him on Prison Island, which I freed him from in hopes that he'd be useful to my schemes. Losing his girlfriend - my cousin - and fifty years of solitary confinement warped his mind so much, that I highly doubt any of you or that bat-thief can fix him! With his fifty years of pain and sorrow combined with his powers, I can easily use all that to my advantage in my campaign for world domination, and he'll kill all of you just by thinking about it before you could do anything to save him from himself!"

"You don't know anything about us," said Tails.

"My friend's right," said Sonic. "We can easily destroy vast armies of your robots ending with you and your most powerful machines! You slowly become more and more powerful and capable of yourself every time you'd return, and despite your ever-increasing strength we defeat you anyway, and grow more powerful every time we'd do so! And if we can defeat someone as ever-increasingly strong as you and your robots, then surely we can save Shadow!"

"Then allow me to test you," said Eggman, "to see if you're _really that_ worthy of saving Shadow and turning him and his powers against me!"

Suddenly, we could feel the ground shaking underneath our feet, as we turned around and discovered behind us, to our shock, a giant, stone robot golem menacingly staring down upon us, getting ready to fight. "You may be capable of destroying anything larger than yourselves," Eggman said to us, "but if you can find a way to destroy my Egg-Golem just as you could my previous machines, then surely you might stand _some_ chance at saving Shadow! Although, really, to be honest, I highly doubt you will. After all, you and your speedy-blue friend keep getting in the way of my plans for world-domination, and for that you'll have to die one way or another." The door Eggman was behind then closed behind us, and we were trapped in the giant room, left at the mercy of the Egg-Golem.

"What are we going to do," I asked Sonic.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Don't worry," said Sonic. "It may outsize us but we outnumber it." Sonic then pointed toward the top of the Egg-Golem's head as he said, "See that switch?" The rest of us looked up and discovered that on top of the Egg-Golem's head was a giant, red button. "One of us has to reach that conveniently-placed button while the rest of us distracts that thing."

"Or," said Knuckles, "we can always toss you to the top of its head so that you can reach it without the need for your plan."

"Right," said Sonic, "how stupid of me!"

"Look out," cried Tails, as the Egg-Golem was about to slam its fist at us.

We managed to dodge the attack on time, as Knuckles then said to Sonic, "Curl into your ball form! I'll toss you high in the air!"

"Right," said Sonic, as he curled into a spinning ball. Knuckles grabbed Sonic in his ball-form as he spun around as quickly and powerfully as a tornado, tossing Sonic high in the air as he managed to reach and hit the button on time, damaging the Egg-Golem.

However, the Egg-Golem still stood up and continued to fight us. Despite its size and strength, each of us had a method of attacking it. Tails had a hand-cannon that fired a strong energy blast that reached the button on top of its head, while I had Cheese for my Chao Attack to reach it from afar. Knuckles would toss Sonic in his ball-form at the button, while Amy would hit Sonic in ball-form with her hammer to help him do more damage to it. After about half an hour of fighting the Egg-Golem, we've managed to do enough damage to truly destroy it, as it fell down onto the ground motionless.

"We did it," I said as I high-fived Cheese.

"Chao," said Cheese.

"Don't pat yourselves on the back, yet," said Sonic.

"He's right," said Tails. "We still need to head to the rocket ship and chase down Eggman!"

The six of us then ran out of the room where we fought the Egg-Golem and into the launch station. In front of us was a rocket ship, and in front of it was Eggman himself. As us and him faced each other, Eggman said, "You really have grown more powerful than when we last met! But, even if you're capable of evading the GUN army, breaking and entering into my base, and destroying my Egg-Golem, I highly doubt you'll still save Shadow and foil my plans like usual!"

"You said that you wanted to test us," said Knuckles, "and to do that, you pitted us against your Egg-Golem."

"We've managed to destroy that giant thing," said Amy, "and succeeded your test! We're more than capable of saving Shadow so that he can help us defeat you!"

"Then you're all even bigger fools than I'd expected you to be," replied Eggman, as he escaped into his rocket-ship and was about to blast-off into outer-space.

"Quickly," cried Sonic, "get yourselves on that ship before it blasts off!"

"Right," the rest of us said in unison. We then jumped on top of the ship as Knuckles opened the roof-compartment door with his super-strength, allowing us to stow-away into the ship while hoping that Eggman doesn't catch us.

The ship then blasted-off from Eggman's base to outer-space itself. Next to us was a window displaying space and the planet Earth, and next to it, the giant space station with Eggman's face underneath it, which Rouge said to us was called the ARK. We also saw the moon, and it was that point Knuckles looked out the window and said to us, "I sense the last three Master Emerald shards on the moon."

"What are you talking about," I asked.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"I don't know how three pieces would fly their way on the moon," said Knuckles, "but I know they're there. If you'll excuse me, I need to finish fixing the damage Rouge created on my emerald."

"But Eggman will capture you when he spots you leaving the ship," said Tails.

"So what," asked Knuckles. "He probably knows we're here anyway, because he has some security cameras placed all over this rocket. He's probably luring us into some trap or whatever, meaning that it's okay if he sees me escape to collect the last Master Emerald shards."

"Then don't blame us," said Sonic, "if Eggman spots you and tries to capture or kill you."

"Thanks for letting me complete my mission," said Knuckles, as he left the rocket's compartment we stowed away in, and escaped the rocket to fly toward the moon with the last Master Emerald shards.

"What are we going to do without Knuckles," Amy asked.

"Don't worry," Sonic said as the rocket slowly flew toward the ARK, "I'll have to think of something."


	7. Chapter 7

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's story

Chapter 7

The rocket ship we stowed away on reached the insides of the ARK, as we snuck out of the rocket ship and found ourselves in the ARK's docking station. We hid from Eggman behind the rocket, hoping that he didn't catch us, provided that he didn't do so while we were in the rocket rather than outside it.

"Come on," whispered Sonic, "Eggman's right here! Why can't we just capture him here and now!"

"Because," said Tails, "he has a robotic combat-suit that lets him fight like one of those martial artists in those kung-fu movies."

"And you know this because," Sonic asked.

"We've fought him while he was in that suit," I whispered to Sonic, "back on Prison Island before it exploded, on our way to rescue you."

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Right," said Sonic.

"Which doesn't explain how we'll stop him," said Amy, as Eggman disappeared behind a door leading to the ARK's hallways.

"I have a plan," said Tails, as he took out what looked like a plastic, yellow emerald.

"Why is the Chaos Emerald plastic," I asked.

"Because," Tails said, "it's a fake Chaos Emerald I created, not the real one I brought along. It shares the same energy as an average Chaos Emerald, except it's much weaker." He then faced Sonic, gave him the fake emerald, and said to him, "Sonic, it's your job to insert the fake emerald inside the cannon's controls. Because the cannon can't tell it's a fake emerald, it'll overload and blow up."

"Right," said Sonic, "insert the emerald in the controls, and the cannon will explode, taking the ARK with it."

"As for Amy, Cream, Cheese, and I," said Tails, "we head into the cannon's engine, disabling it by any means necessary, allowing you to head into the main control room, plant the fake emerald inside it, and get out while praying that the cannon is truly destroyed."

"Which doesn't explain Shadow," I said. "What if he appears out of nowhere and tries to kill us? I mean, the Eggman robots aren't so bad, because we can take them down easily, no matter how numerous they are, but Shadow's fifty-years-old and is incredibly powerful even with all of us put together!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Then," Sonic said, "if any time Shadow appears and threatens your lives or mine, we run from him. Otherwise, if there's no escape, we fight him even though the chances of our survival are slim-to-none."

"Then let's get the job done," said Tails. We then went down the halls of the ARK as we split up, Tails, Amy, Cheese, and I heading to the engine, Sonic heading down to the giant cannon's control room. Along the way, we battled a couple of Eggman robots, but despite their heavy numbers they weren't any match for us.

After an hour of exploring the ARK, we arrived at the cannon's engine, which we managed to destroy despite its self-defense mechanisms, like missiles and lasers.

After destroying the engine, we contacted Sonic via our ear-pieces, which allows us to communicate with each other whenever we're apart, as Tails then said, "We've managed to destroy the engine."

"And I've managed to reach the cannon's controls," said Sonic. "Now, all that leaves is planting that fake emerald inside the controls, causing the cannon's systems to overload."

"You have super-speed," said Amy. "I know you'll escape the explosion with that trademark speed of yours."

"Don't worry your little heads off," replied Sonic, "I can just as easily take care of myself and escape just as I can destroy that cannon. I'll meet you guys as soon as I can. Over and out!"

"Over and out," we said in unison, as we cut-off communications with Sonic.

"We did it," I said.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"I wouldn't count on it," said Tails. "This mission went a bit too smoothly for my tastes."

"That's because I intended it to be easy," said a familiar voice. We then turned around and faced Eggman with his vast army of robots by his side. the robots then ran toward us and had us surrounded, as we were too outnumbered by his robot army. "Literally," said Eggman, "for someone so powerful as yourselves, you're also so darn-straight gullible!"

"So for this whole time," said Amy, "it's a trap!"

"If my defenses were so powerful," Eggman continued, "that not even any of you or your blue friend can make it past them, I wouldn't have laid a trap for you. But I'm the cowardly, rule-breaking type, who would take dirty routes just to defeat anyone that dares to get in my way, especially someone as capable of defeating me as yourselves and Sonic!"

Eggman then changed the frequency of his own ear-piece to Sonic's, as we then heard Sonic's voice saying, "Hello?"

"I have your friends," said Eggman. "If you wish to see them again, I suggest you come to me at the research station with the Chaos Emerald in your hands. I will kill them if you don't deliver the emerald on time!"

We then reached for our ear-pieces as I said to Sonic, "Don't do it, Sonic!"

"Yeah," said Tails, "the world's safety comes first! Don't mind us if we die!"

"You've nearly allowed your fear for our safeties consume you during our fight with Chaos," said Amy. "Don't make the same mistake again!"

"Then how did you get captured," asked Sonic.

"We're surrounded by too many Eggman robots," said Tails. "Even if we could fight them, those robots would overwhelm us, albeit not as quickly as Shadow himself, but overwhelm us nonetheless!"

"Then I guess I'll have to trade the emerald for your lives," Sonic replied, "if those robots were capable of surrounding you."

"Then you're an idiot," replied Amy.

"Don't worry," said Sonic, "I'll think of some alternate plan of saving both you and the world without the need to compromise one over the other."

"Glad you made the right choice, hedgehog," Eggman said to Sonic. As we turned off our ear-pieces, Eggman then said to us, "Come with me if you want to live," as he and his robots led us out of the engine room and toward one of the ARK's research labs.


	8. Chapter 8

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the rabbit's story

Chapter 8

Tails, Amy, Cheese, and I were in one of the research rooms within the ARK, which was empty and sterile. As we stood around, afraid of moving, Eggman pointed his pistol at us and said, "Just so you know, I had my doubts that you'd take notice of and evade my trap. I would've had Shadow eliminate you along with Sonic, considering that if you pit him against me in a fight, he'd wipe the floor with my face in a matter of seconds, despite his constant whining about Maria."

"Speaking of Shadow," said Tails, "we were hoping to help him with his problems anytime he'd appear to stop us. We thought he'd help us defeat you and clear Sonic's name!"

"We may not have been around when the GUN army killed that Maria girl," said Amy, "and captured Shadow. But we know him more than GUN as well as you. Shadow's an innocent hedgehog that just wants someone to protect, like Maria, and we feel that if he protected us and Sonic instead, he wouldn't feel empty and psychotic anymore!"

"You and your blue friend really are much stupider than I'd thought you'd be," replied Eggman. "Shadow doesn't want friends, because to him, friendship is a weakness that causes people to die. He believes that he and Maria were fools, allowing their personal emotions for each other get in the way of their own survival, and Maria died because she protected him, making her and Shadow complete idiots. This is why there's no way you can save him, because he desires one thing and one thing only: The destruction of the entire Earth and every last person on that planet, including himself!"

"I thought you wanted to dominate the world," I said, "not destroy it."

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Don't worry," said Eggman, "I'll think of something to eliminate Shadow before he destroys the very world I want to conquer, once his usefulness has ended that is."

"And Shadow," said Tails, "he wants to kill himself once he destroys the world?"

"He has a terrible case of survivor's guilt," continued Eggman, "that not even you or your blue friend can fix. He failed to save Maria, and for that he believes that he deserves to die along the world as punishment for his failure. And, the Eclipse Cannon is the only thing with the power to end his life and the lives of the billions of people on this sad planet. And, because he's willing to die, I can always give him this permanent reprieve from this awful life without the need to destroy the world I wish to conquer!"

"You can't do that," said Amy.

"Yeah," said Tails, "there's more to this life than just the bad!"

"Deep down inside that dark world," I said, "is some small light that can never be extinguished! Shadow needs to be exposed to that light, and Sonic and the rest of us are the only ones with the power to give him that light even if he lost Maria!"

"Shadow is beyond saving," replied Eggman. "If you truly care for my grandfather's little Frankenstein monster, you're either better off killing him in combat, leave him to kill himself once he succeeds at destroying the world, or allow me to kill him so that I can dominate the world once he kills you and anyone that dares to stand in my way! Whatever method you pick, he'll be given a reprieve he wouldn't find anywhere else, not even from that dreadful life he had!"

"That may be," said a familiar voice. We then faced the doorway and saw Sonic with the fake emerald in his right hand. As he walked slowly toward us while Eggman pointed his pistol at us, Sonic then continued, "but, we can do anything provided that we have enough strength and courage to do so. And if that's the case, once I save my friends, we _will_ find Shadow and save him!"

"Then by all means," replied Eggman, "drop the emerald on the ground and surrender, unless you wish to go through the same Hell your black look-a-like went through fifty years ago!"

"Please," I said, "don't do it!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"You were supposed to get the job done," said Tails, "not save our lives!"

"I'm sorry," said Sonic, as he dropped the emerald on the ground, "but you're needed to help me stop Eggman and save Shadow."

Suddenly, a small, glass pod dropped down from the ceiling, encasing Sonic and the fake emerald inside. "No," cried Amy.

"What's going on," asked Tails.

"I knew you're the cowardly type," said Sonic.

"Of course I am, you stupid forest-animal," replied Eggman. "That emerald that's encased in the same pod as you? I know it's a fake, because I've spied on you through the ARK's security cameras and overheard your communications! Do you really think I'd be tricked by something as plastic as that fake emerald?"

"What's going to happen," I asked.

"I'm going to launch Sonic's pod into the Earth's atmosphere," said Eggman, "so that once it touches it, it'll explode, taking that sad excuse for a hero and his fake emerald with it! Then, once I kill your blue hero, the four of you will be next on my hit-list!"

"You can try, though," said Sonic, "but I have faith in my friends. Even if I fail to stop you and save Shadow and the world, my friends will take my place and surpass even me!" He then said to Tails, Amy, Cheese, and I, "Guys, I leave the fate of Shadow and the world in your hands. Promise me you won't die or be as gratuitously consumed by my loss as Shadow was to Maria's."

"Sonic," cried Tails, "don't go!"

"We'll always remember you," said Amy.

"And we will avenge your death," I said.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

Eggman then pressed a button on his wrist-watch, as Sonic's pod disappeared with him down a hole in the floor. We then watched helplessly from the window overlooking the Earth as we saw the pod Sonic was in explode.

"And it's about damn time, too," said Eggman. As the fat scientist faced us, he then said, "Now, all that leaves is you four. And if anytime I fail to destroy you and take the real emerald in your possession, Shadow will finish you off for me."

"Sonic said that we would surpass him and save Shadow and the world," said Tails, entering his fighting stance.

"He's right," said Amy, taking out her hammer and entering her fighting stance as well. "If we don't stop you, no one will!"

"We _will_ fulfill Sonic's last wishes of saving Shadow and the world," I said, as Cheese and I entered our fighting stances, "and even though we could die no matter how careful we are, we won't give up, not until we stop you and save everyone, including Shadow!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"You're forgetting," said Eggman, "that I have a robotic-exoskeleton that lets me perform martial-arts with the same strength and agility as you and Sonic put-together!" As Eggman pressed another button on his wrist-watch, his robot-exoskeleton appeared all over his body. He then entered his fighting stance as he said, "If you wish to die, why didn't you say so? Allow me to bring you with your blue friend and Shadow's precious Maria!"

The four of us would battle Eggman, in his exoskeleton, to the death. Eggman had incredible and strength and speed, along with a variety of weapons, like spikes, a ball-and-chain, a drill, missiles, spherical bombs, and a giant laser-cannon that was bigger than his body. Even with all of us teaming up against Eggman, we were no match for him for some unknown reason, until after an hour into the fight, the four of us were kneeling down on the ground, nearly-defeated.

"Well," said Eggman, "that wasn't so bad, now, was it?"

"We won't give up," said Amy.

"Yeah," said Tails, "not until we avenge Sonic and defeat you!"

"Confidence stemming from stupidity," said Eggman, as he summoned a spherical bomb in his right hand, pulling his arm backwards, getting ready to toss the bomb, as he said, "Say hello to Sonic and Maria for me!"

Just when all hope seemed lost, just when the bomb would finish us off, we then saw Rouge the bat and Knuckles the echidna at the doorway leading to the room we were in. Before Eggman could toss the bomb, Rouge ran up to Eggman from behind and grabbed his arm, tossing him backward as she grabbed the bomb and tossed it at the wall before it could explode. Eggman then lied on the ground, and before he could get up, Knuckles grabbed Eggman and sleeper-held him, until he couldn't breathe anymore and fell into a coma.

As the four of us and Knuckles and Rouge faced each other, Amy then said, "We were capable of defeating Eggman by ourselves, you know. You didn't need to rescue us."

"And yet," said Knuckles, "you were heavily battle-damaged to the point of dying."

"How did you arrive here," I asked. "We thought you were finishing off your quest to retrieve the last three Master Emerald shards."

"And Rouge the bat's with you," said Tails.

"Oh, don't mind us," said Rouge. "While you guys were away, Knuckles and I encountered each other on the moon. We've fought each other for the remaining Master Emerald shards, when I defeated and humiliated that egg-laying mammal in one-on-one combat."

"It was just a setback, woman," Knuckles said to Rouge, angrily. "You only won because you were lucky!" Knuckles then faced us as he continued, "After our fight, Rouge gave me the pieces of the Master Emerald so that I could complete it again, all because she wanted to place her employers' orders in front of her desire for my ancestors' emerald."

"The GUN army ordered me to side with Shadow," continued Rouge, "so that once I develop enough trust in him, I betray and assassinate him before he succeeds in destroying the world. But, during my time with him, I, like you guys, also learned that Shadow needed help. I thought that if I could save Shadow from his own insanity, if I could become Shadow's new friend, his new Maria, I might also prove to my employers everything I - all of us here - learned about him."

"And how did you know that we wanted to help Shadow as well," asked Amy.

"Because," said Rouge, "I've secretly watched you from afar. From there I knew that you'd find out about Shadow's problems."

"Rouge brought me along with her after winning our fight and giving away the last Master Emerald shards," Knuckles continued. "From there, we encountered Shadow in the computer room, where we hoped that we could help him with his problems."

"What happened from there," I asked.

"We fought him to save our own lives," said Rouge. "Until Shadow slammed me on the computer, turning it on and revealing some kind of blueprints."

"Blueprints," Tails asked.

"They were of the Ultimate Lifeform project," said Rouge. "Shadow was created by Gerald Robotnik to be the Ultimate Lifeform, but the Shadow we saw on the computer was actually a giant Bio-Lizard, the original Shadow!"

"You're joking, right," said Amy.

"If that lizard thing you were talking about was the real Shadow," I said, "then who was the fake hedgehog?"

"Chao, chao," asked Cheese.

"We don't know," said Knuckles. "From seeing the blueprints, Shadow went up and ran away from us after learning about the truth. As for the two of us, Rouge and I were heavily battle-damaged from our fight with Shadow, and as we walked slowly down the hallway of the ARK, chasing Shadow, we encountered Sonic appearing in a bright flash of light."

"Sonic," asked Amy.

"Was he alive," asked Tails.

"Of course he was," replied Knuckles. "He told us that he used that fake emerald's Chaos Control powers to warp himself out of that exploding pod."

"Right," said Tails. "I created the fake emerald to share the same energy as a regular Chaos Emerald, only weaker. But, if Sonic was able to use something as weak as that fake emerald to get himself out, then that means..."

"Sonic then told us to get to you on time," said Rouge, "because he believed that you were at the mercy of Dr. Eggman. But, to think that you were capable of fending for yourselves against that scientist despite the odds."

"We are," said Amy, "aren't we?"

"As for Sonic," said Knuckles, "he's heading to the ARK's cannon to place that fake emerald inside, so that he can destroy it."

"Did Sonic encounter Shadow, yet," I asked.

"Why don't you talk to him from your communicators to find out," asked Rouge.

"Right," we said in unison.

As the six of us set our ear-pieces' frequencies to Sonic's ear-piece, we could hear Sonic's voice saying, "Hello? Is that you?"

"Sonic," cried Amy, "you had us worried!"

"Tell us," said Tails, "did you make it to the ARK's cannon? Did Shadow find you?"

"Unfortunately," said Sonic, "yes. Shadow found me, and I'm fighting him to the death right now."

"Hold on tightly," Rouge called.

"Yeah," said Knuckles, "you can't fight that fake hedgehog alone!"

"Don't worry about me," said Sonic. "I can handle myself."

"No," said Tails, "Shadow will kill you!"

"We'll be here in just a minute," said Amy. As we turned off our communicators, we ran toward the door, when all of a sudden it closed on the six of us. We were trapped inside the room again, as we turned around and, to our surprise, saw Eggman slowly getting back up on his feet.

"So," said Eggman, "Sonic's still alive and kicking, and he's fighting Shadow to boot!" As he went back to his fighting stance, he then said to us, "Once I finish you off, I'll rush to where Sonic and Shadow are, and whoever wins their fight with each other, I shall eliminate!"

"Like Hell you will," said Knuckles, as he and the rest of us got into our fighting stances.

"We won't let you kill Sonic and Shadow," I proclaimed to Eggman.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Sonic and Shadow need our help," said Rouge, "and even though we could die in the process, even if the odds are stacked against us, we won't give up on those two hedgehogs!"

"Then you're all more foolish than even I could imagine," proclaimed Eggman. "Come at me, if you dare!" And so, the six of us battled Eggman, six-on-one.


	9. Chapter 9

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 9

An hour into the battle would pass, and already the six of us were in a stalemate with Eggman, who was still wearing his robot-exoskeleton to give himself super-strength and agility, abilities and weapons needed to fight us. We had teamwork, sure, but Eggman was more powerful than any of us could imagine, even with all of us working together. If Sonic were around and helped us fight Eggman, instead of fighting Shadow alone like right now, around the same time as our fight, even he would barely stand a chance against Eggman and his powerful exo-skeleton.

"We're equally matched, you and I," panted Eggman, as he and the six of us kneeled on the floor, facing each other.

"Of course we are," said Amy, "master of the obvious!"

"You want to worsen Shadow's problems," said Rouge, "by using him as a weapon and disposing of him once he succeeds in killing Sonic and the rest of us."

"We won't give up on Shadow," said Tails, "not until we save him from fifty years of his unsolved problems!"

"And," I said, "we won't give up on Sonic and the world, either! Not until we find a way to defeat you in battle!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"I may not know how you're capable of beating me up into the condition I'm in right now at the near-cost of yourselves," replied Eggman, "but if I can't defeat you, then I'll take the Chaos Emerald in Tails' possession, then run away with it to the Eclipse Cannon, and use the cannon with Tails' emerald and the others in my possession!"

"How can you do that," asked Knuckles. "Look at you! We nearly died fighting you in your immensively-powerful exo-skeleton, and yet you're heavily battle-damaged yourself!"

"Watch me," replied Eggman. He slowly struggled to get back up on his feet, as he charged at Tails with his winged jet-pack, fist in front, dealing a massive punch in Tails' stomach.

"Tails," we cried, as Tails was knocked backward onto the ground as he accidentally dropped the Chaos Emerald. As it flew in the air, Eggman grabbed it before it could fall on the ground, then slightly stumbled and struggled to regain his balance.

"Wow," said Eggman, getting dizzy and struggling to stay standing up, "looks like you forest-animals did more damage to me than even I could imagine, but at least I have the last Chaos Emerald!"

As Tails lied in a coma, the five of us ran toward Tails. "Tails," I cried, "wake up!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Please," said Amy, "don't die on us!"

We then got up and faced Eggman, who was holding a giant laser cannon, as big as his body, in his left hand, while he held the Chaos Emerald in his right. As he slowly walked backward to the door and opened it, Eggman said to us, "Because your two-tailed fox friend is knocked-out, I can blast him with my giant laser-cannon in front of your eyes, unless you let me go to the Eclipse Cannon with the Chaos Emerld I stole from him!"

"You wouldn't dare," said Rouge, as we got into our fighting stances.

"Heh heh heh," chuckled Eggman quietly. He then turned around and ran away, disappearing behind the door with the last Chaos Emerald.

"Ungh," groaned Tails, as he slowly got back up.

"Tails," cried Knuckles as we faced him.

"Are you okay," I asked.

"It felt like cannonball hit me," said Tails, as he got back on his feet, "but I'm okay. It's just that we have two problems: The first problem is that when I was punched, I dropped my Chaos Emerald!"

"That's because Eggman stole it from you," said Rouge, "and is heading to the Eclipse Cannon to empower it with it and the other six emeralds."

"And then," said Tails, "there's Sonic, who's at the mercy of that fake hedgehog with power over time and space. While saving Sonic is a secondary priority, heroes like Sonic and the rest of us would often put secondary priorities on top of the primary ones, like stopping Eggman and destroying the Eclipse Cannon." Tails then turned on his earpiece as he said, "This is Tails, come in Sonic! Did Shadow do anything to you?"

"Yes," said Sonic's voice in Tails' earpiece, "I can hear you. Listen, I'm too heavily battle-damaged to the point of nearing my inevitable death, but I could barely land a small scratch on Shadow! He _really is_ the Ultimate Lifeform as he proclaimed he'd... aaagh!"

"Sonic," I cried to my earpiece as we heard static in each of our own.

"Chao, chao," cried Cheese.

As we the static noise turned to silence, Sonic's voice in our earpieces continued, "It's okay! I'm fine, for now, but if you head to where I am right now, all you'd see is Shadow tap-dancing on my inanimate, decomposing corpse! It's best that you fight Eggman and destroy the Eclipse Cannon without me!"

"No," cried Amy. "We can still save you!"

"We can't destroy the Eclipse Cannon without your help," said Rouge.

"Either you escape Shadow," said Knuckles, "or let us come and save your life!"

"It's too late for me," said Sonic. "You need to get to the Eclipse Cannon. You're the only ones with the power to stop that fat scientist! Unless, of course, you have some sort of plan to get me out of this... aaagh!" More static appeared.

"Sonic, no," cried Amy.

"What are we going to do," I asked.

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Now that's a tough one," said Knuckles. "Either we save Sonic only to discover that we're too late, or stop Eggman from firing that Eclipse Cannon-thing while Sonic dies at the hands of that black monster."

As we thought to ourselves as to what to do, Rouge then said to us in a serious tone, "Change your frequencies to Shadow's earpiece! We need to talk to him!"

"You're joking," said Knuckles, "right? Even though we don't want Shadow to commit suicide along with the world with the Eclipse Cannon and its immense power, he wouldn't listen to us from afar."

"Yeah," said Amy. "He'd probably find out where we're talking to him, then warp to this room and kill us before we could land the first blow on him."

"Now," demanded Rouge angrily.

"Right," said Tails, as the six of us changed our frequency from Sonic's earpiece to Shadow's.

After doing so, we all yelled to Shadow in unison, "DON'T DO IT, SHADOW!"

"Hello," said Shadow's voice. "I was about to finish off that speedy blue forest-animal that resembled me, when you had to develop the stupidity to interfere. Are you _that_ desperate to join your friend along with the world and me?"

"We may not have been around when the GUN army killed Maria and captured and imprisoned you for fifty years," said Rouge, "but, we know you better than anyone in this world, even the GUN army!"

"No one knows me better than GUN," replied Shadow in our earpieces, "not even any of you or your blue friend. They were around when they killed everyone on the ARK, every last person on that accursed birth-place of mine, including Maria, and had me captured and imprisoned for the past fifty years. You, however, weren't, and therefore carry no significance to my tragic past."

"Do you even realize that even in this evil world," I said, "there's at least _some_ good?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"The only good I used to have during my time," said Shadow, "was Maria. She's dead because of our foolish bond with each other. For that, I deserve to die as punishment for leaving Maria to rot, along with that blasted world of evil people like Gerald's fat, power-obsessed grandson. The Eclipse Cannon is the only thing that possesses that power to end my life and the lives of billions."

"But if you die along with the world," said Knuckles, "that's it! You won't be able to laugh, cry, think, feel, or do whatever the living does!"

"There's more to life than just Eggman, the GUN army, and all those other evil people in the world," said Tails. "There are some people that care for you, no matter who you are and what your origin is! Sonic and the rest of us are amongst those compassionate people, even if we're too few compared to the many evil people in the world!"

"You don't know how the world revolves as I do," replied Shadow. "People fear their lives and its many difficulties, whether it's losing loved ones, ending up homeless, receiving an illness, becoming elderly, or facing their own inevitable deaths. You forest-animals and your blue friend are no different from me and everyone else, even Eggman himself. Gerald's fat grandson desires to conquer the world with an overpowered outside source like the Chaos Emeralds because he gave up on living his miserable life the same way I did during my imprisonment. Meanwhile, you fear Eggman and his constant return just as much as I fear GUN. No matter how many times you defeat Eggman and foil his plans for world domination, he'll always return with an even stronger scheme, a scheme so powerful and difficult to foil that not even any of you or that blue hedgehog can stop him or his ever-increasing power and schemes. Eventually, you will all fail and face the same problems as me, and once Eggman succeeds in trading in his own life for his empire, you, like me with the GUN army and my tragic past, will want to trade your own lives and the life of your hero, Sonic, for a permanent reprieval from him."

"No," said Amy. "We don't think the same way as you do! Just because we can't seem to permanently defeat Eggman, just because he keeps returning to conquer the world with his robot armies, doesn't mean we can just give up on living the same way you did when the GUN army killed your friend, Maria, in front of you, and had you imprisoned for fifty years!"

"My friends are right, you know," said Sonic's voice.

"Sonic," Shadow's voice replied to Sonic, as we knew that Sonic was talking to Shadow.

"It's true," said Sonic. "Every time we defeat Eggman and foil his plans for world domination, he'd return more powerful than last time. You maybe right, that one day not even me nor any of my friends can stop Eggman, and he will succeed in killing us. But, just when he inserted me inside that pod with the fake emerald, and launched me into the Earth's atmosphere to explode along with that fake emerald, while he left Tails, Amy, Cream, and Cheese to his mercy, just when he was about to win, I found a way out of this difficult situation with the fake emerald's Chaos Control powers. From there, I decided to destroy the Eclipse Cannon with that plastic emerald, while Knuckles and Rouge rescued the rest of our friends from Eggman, because I never gave up on anyone; not myself, not my friends, not on the life everyone on this world wants to live. We're not psychotic emos that gave up on life like you and Eggman. We're heroes, and heroes _never_ give up on their lives and the lives of their friends and the world's population! You used to cling on to your life because you had Maria, but then you gave up on it because you watched her die and got yourself imprisoned for fifty years. However, if you made me and my friends into your new Marias - your new friends - and protected us with your life while you depend on us with ours, you might want to actually live your life to the fullest, rather than die and rob yourself of the happiness you would've gotten from us or anyone in the world that still care for you."

"And," said Shadow, "how do I know I can trust you and your forest-woodland friends?"

"Because," said Sonic, "you're in a world that gave up on you, but there are few people in this said world like myself and my friends who don't. We want to live along with each other and the world, no matter how many times we get killed by Eggman or some other evil person until we stay dead. It's time you do the same thing as my friends and I, and not give up on living even if Maria died, while we become your new friends. I'm sure it's what Maria would want."

"And you people," Shadow's voice said to us, "you agree with your blue friend and hero?"

"Yes," the six of us said in unison.

"You fools," Shadow whispered. There was silence for a few seconds, until we could hear Shadow start to cry softly.

"Sonic," I said, "why is Shadow crying?"

"I think we hit his sensitive spot," whispered Sonic's voice. "Also, I have to say, good thinking, guys. You didn't even have to come to me in the flesh just to save me."

"But what about Shadow," asked Tails.

"Hold on," said Sonic. He then said to Shadow, "you don't have to cry over everything that happened. Just be happy with the new life we're going to give you."

After a minute of Shadow's crying, he then stopped and all we could hear was silence. Another minute passed during the silence, as we then turned around and spotted a black portal opening behind us. Shadow the hedgehog came out of it toward us, carrying a heavily battle-damaged Sonic on his shoulders. The black portal disappeared, as Shadow then said to us, "You've outvoted me seven-to-one, but there was a much greater reason than that."

"What is it," asked Amy.

"You never gave up on my problems," said Shadow, "even if the GUN army and the rest of the world did after Maria died. Perhaps friendship isn't a weakness at all, and Maria wasn't so much a fool as much as she was as brave and strong as you people and your friend, Sonic, were. You only kept yourselves alive for so long because you were lucky, unlike Maria, but even though she died she never gave up on me. You never gave up on me, either, just as you never gave up on your lives, your bond with each other, and the world. I owe you an apology, as well as a small favor for saving me, and that's to stop Eggman, destroy the Eclipse Cannon, and turn myself in to the authorities to clear Sonic's name."

"More than that," said Amy. "We want you to live happily-ever-after, just like us."

"You're a normal forest-animal," said Rouge, "just like us, and you shouldn't let others like the GUN army say to you otherwise."

"Thanks," said Shadow, as he smiled in front of us, for the first time in fifty years.

"About time you'd smile," said Knuckles.

"Yeah," said Shadow. "I never had this much happiness since the good times I've spent with Maria."

"But," said Tails, "we shouldn't pat ourselves on the back yet. We need to stop Eggman and destroy the Eclipse Cannon before he fires it."

"Right," said Shadow.

"Come on," Sonic said to all of us, Shadow included, "Eggman's probably waiting for us and our new addition to our team of heroes!"

We, along with our new friend, Shadow, then followed Sonic out of the room and down the ARK's hallways to search for and stop Eggman. We could also feel a sense of accomplishment for nearly sacrificing our lives to save Shadow, while the black hedgehog was happy to have new friends in the form of us.


	10. Chapter 10

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's Story

Chapter 10

After running down the ARK's dark hallways, fighting any Eggman robots that got in our way, we, Shadow included, arrived at the Eclipse Cannon's control room, where Eggman and the seven Chaos Emeralds lied.

As Eggman faced the cannon's controls while his back faced us, Eggman said to us, "I've overheard your communications through my earpiece. If you forest-animals are capable of doing the impossible feat of saving Shadow from committing suicide along with the world with the immensive power of the Eclipse Cannon, then I'm no match for you yet again." He then turned around to face us, then look at Shadow and said, "Come on, Shadow. Ever since I've freed you from Prison Island, I promised to give you a permanent reprieval from your own miserable life, provided that you helped me conquer the world. Do you even realize that if you continue to live, the GUN army will not only hunt you down for the rest of your life and kill you, but also any of your sympathizers such as Sonic and his friends?" He then faced the rest of us and said, "And Sonic, even if you and your motley crew of forest-woodland heroes save the world from my wrath and Shadow from himself, you'll all be accused of sympathizing with that black monster and will be hunted down and slaughtered as punishment! You're in a world run by evil forces such as discrimination, and not even your heroic acts of saving Shadow and stopping me can save you from this cycle of discrimination!"

"You may be right," said Sonic. "There is no end to discrimination. But, that doesn't excuse the fact that good examples set by the few can change the hearts of the many!"

"That's why it's up to the few of us," I said, "to not only keep people alive but also changed!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Once we defeat you and destroy the Eclipse Cannon," Rouge continued, "we'll show the GUN army that we were capable of saving and redeeming Shadow of his crimes, turning him into the normal forest-animal with a heart and free will we desired him to become!"

"And Shadow," said Eggman, "you agree with those forest-animals?"

"Unfortunately for you," said Shadow, "yes. These forest-creatures taught me the value of living my own life even after Maria's death. If I die now, I won't be able to think or feel, let alone find true happiness, but instead rot like the corpse I would've become. Once I make amends for what I've done by defeating you and destroying the Eclipse Cannon, I'm going to live a free life with my new friends, who gave me this new life I've recently received right now. I'm sure this is what Maria would want from me."

"Then I guess you and your new forest-animal friends - my long-time arch-enemies - have grown more powerful than even I could imagine," replied Eggman. He would insert Tails' Chaos Emerald inside the controls, where the other six Chaos Emeralds lied, and then say to us, "If I can't destroy you, then you leave me no other choice but to make you watch me fire the Eclipse Cannon on a city!"

"You wouldn't dare," we said in unison, as we got into our fighting stances.

"Watch me," replied Eggman. He would slowly place his hand on the fire button, pressing it, as we were too late: The Eclipse Cannon was about to fire its laser beam at a city.

However, for some reason, the lights in the cannon's control room shut off, leaving us all in the dark, and the Eclipse Cannon didn't fire its beam at the Earth. "O-kay," said Eggman, "why in the nine circles of Hell did the lights turn off, and why isn't the Eclipse Cannon firing?"

"Looks like the Eclipse Cannon isn't as bad as we'd thought it'd be," said Tails.

"Yeah," said Knuckles, as he faced us and said, "Come on, let's dismantle the Eclipse Cannon, piece by piece!"

"Right," we said in unison.

"You wouldn't dare," Eggman said to us nervously. "It's just a setback. Maybe it needs time to fully start itself up. Or maybe..."

"No excuses, Gerald's grandson," said Shadow.

"Yeah," said Amy. "We're going to disassemble the Eclipse Cannon, and you're going to watch in horror as your evil schemes fail again!"

"Curse you," Eggman said angrily.

My friends and I would slowly walk toward the Eclipse Cannon's controls, plotting on replacing Tails' Chaos Emerald with the fake one he developed for us, so that we can overload and blow up the Eclipse Cannon. However, just when we were about to do so, an image of an elderly man that resembled Dr. Eggman, only with a grey mustache rather than the orange one Eggman has, appeared. He was staring menacingly at us, strapped to a chair, as he said, "People of Earth, if you're watching this, then I'm probably already dead and is broadcasting this all over the world."

"Gramps," asked Eggman.

"I've created Shadow," said Gerald, "to be your newest contributor to society, your new super-hero. He had a heart and free will, like any normal forest-animal in the world, and with his powers over time and space he would live a normal life and protect and care for you from any threat that gets in your way. You would've had a friend by your side, and Shadow wouldn't have to cling on to just Maria and I alone! Yet, instead of treating him like an equal with thoughts and feelings like yourselves, you discriminated against him, treated him like some weapon of mass destruction that should be destroyed at all costs. You've imprisoned him, and in the process killed my granddaughter, Maria, one of the only few people besides myself who cared for the Ultimate Lifeform as if he's a normal hedgehog rather than a disposable tool. If you can't accept Shadow as one of your own, if you threaten his life just because he was different from you, then you leave me no other choice but to punish you for your false judgements, by crashing the ARK into the Earth's atmosphere!"

We could then feel the floor shaking underneath our feet violently, as I asked, "What's going on?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"It's the ARK," replied Tails. "Gerald wasn't lying when he said that he's going to crash the ARK into the Earth!"

"I've programmed the ARK," continued Gerald, "to fall into the Earth and destroy it once all seven Chaos Emeralds empower the Eclipse Cannon. Nothing can override it once the emeralds empower the cannon. Once it falls into the Earth, about three-fourths of your population will die as punishment for threatening a being that only meant to live freely, equally, and peacefully amongst you! I've given you the chance to make Shadow one of your own, and you've wasted it on torturing and imprisoning him just because he was different from any normal forest-animal in the world. I'll be looking forward to seeing you all in the afterlife." The image of Gerald Robotnik then disappeared.

"Gramps," Eggman said, "why do you intend to destroy the world I wish to conquer?"

"So," said Sonic, "you're not involved in everything your old man's doing?"

"Of course I am," replied Eggman, "you master of the obvious!" Eggman then looked at Rouge, who was holding a diary with Gerald's name on it and reading it, as he said, "You stupid bat-thief! You not only stole my secret base's card-key, but also my old man's diary?"

"Of course I did," said Rouge. "It was how I found out that Shadow isn't so much a weapon of mass destruction as much as he is an innocent victim in this mess. In Gerald's diary, he intended Shadow to be a free citizen with a heart and free will, a normal forest-animal that would live his own life just like my friends and I."

"Then," said Shadow, "why would my old man want to destroy the world? Unless, of course..."

"He said that he did that," said Rouge, "when the GUN army killed Maria and every other person on the ARK. The part where they kidnapped you, Shadow, we already know about. But, if Gerald intended all of this to happen, like he said in the diary I stole from Eggman, who stole the diary from the ARK before this whole mess, then that means..."

"The Eclipse Cannon has a core," said Knuckles, as he took out the Master Emerald, "right? If we can use it in the core, we can override the ARK's controls, warping this place back in orbit before it does any damage to the Earth."

"Wow," said Rouge, "for someone that lived isolated on his home island for so long with no knowledge of the outside world, you're pretty smart."

"Shut up, woman," said Knuckles.

"Relax, Knuckles," replied Rouge, "I'm only lightening up this dark situation we're in."

"Come on," said Sonic, "we have to get to the Eclipse Cannon's core before that place destroys the Earth!"

"What about Gerald's fat grandson," asked Shadow. "He could be useful. He might even redeem himself like I have thanks to you guys."

"Right," said Amy. "Eggman can come with us. After all, he inserted the Chaos Emeralds inside the Eclipse Cannon's controls and started this madness, he should help us fix what he created."

"Like hell I will," said Eggman. "Besides, don't you feel that once this is all over, I'm going to stab you and your new friend, Shadow, in the backs as an act of revenge?"

"Face it," I said, "you're teaming up with us, and once we're done, we're taking you to prison to help you learn the error of your ways!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Then it's settled," said Shadow. "Let's get to the cannon's core before things get screwy.

"Yeah," all of us said in unison.

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Shadow, Eggman, Cheese, and I then ran down the halls of the ARK, fighting off any security robots that got in our way. After about a long time of racing to the Eclipse Cannon's core, we would arrive and, to our surprise, discover that the core resembled the Master Emerald shrine, like the one on Knuckles' home island!

"You're joking, right," asked Knuckles. "Why would they model the core after the Master Emerald shrine from my home island?"

"It's to harness the Chaos Emeralds' powers," said Rouge, "as Gerald's research in his diary said."

"I thought so," said Knuckles. He walked up to the top of the shrine and placed the Master Emerald in the center, as he said to us, "I know that we're running low on time, but you should give me a minute to prepare the Chaos Control ritual, which involves controlling the Chaos Emeralds' powers to warp the ARK back to orbit."

"Don't worry," said Tails. "We're pretty patient ourselves, everyone except Sonic, that is."

"Hey," said Sonic. "I thought you weren't good with jokes!"

"I'm just lightening up the situation we're in," said Tails, "nothing else."

"Can I talk to you guys for a minute," Shadow said to all of us except for Knuckles, who was still preparing the ritual.

"Right," we said in unison.

"That includes you, Gerald's grandson," Shadow said to Eggman.

"First of all," said Eggman, "I have a name, and it's _not_ 'Gerald's grandson,' even if I am. And second, it's best that you don't involve me in your conversation."

"Spoiled sport," Shadow said to Eggman.

As Sonic, Tails, Amy, Rouge, Cheese, and I gathered around Shadow, Amy said, "Did you often call Eggman 'Gerald's grandson' ever since he freed you?"

"Yes," said Shadow, "because he resembles my old man and original creator. But that's besides the point. The point is, if we fail and die, I want to let you know that's been an honor having fifty years of my problems fixed because of you, even if it nearly killed you in the process."

"You mean," said Tails, "when we persuaded you about this whole 'hope within hopelessness' thing?"

"Yes," said Shadow. "When I was imprisoned for fifty years, I lost all memories of my promise to Maria, and with it some of my past. I would lose sight as to who I was or what I was originally created by Gerald to do, and would think that I promised to Maria to get my revenge on the world, as well as die so that I can be with Maria for the rest of life. But then, you forest-animals came into my life. I thought you were the equivalent of Eggman and the GUN army who imprisoned me and killed Maria, because I saw you as threats to my plans to commit suicide along the world. But then, you've figured out my problems in ways the GUN army should've figured out themselves, and taught me that if I die, I won't be with Maria again, because there is no such thing as an afterlife. If I die without finding you as my new source of happiness fifty years after Maria, that's it. I'm nothing but cremated ashes in an urn destined to be tossed into the air to fly around mindlessly, or a decomposing corpse locked in a tomb that's buried six-feet under, or whatever dead people receive once they go.

"And what now," I asked.

"When you and Sonic talked to me," said Shadow, "you also reminded me of Gerald and Maria's true promise to me. They didn't desire to destroy the world, they desired to protect it! They also desired me to live freely as a normal hedgehog amongst other normal forest-animals, living a free, boring, uneventful lifestyle much like yours. And, if anytime threats like Dr. Eggman would appear, I would eventually protect innocent people with my Chaos powers, people like you guys, who sacrificed everything to save the world and live your free lives every time Eggman would return to get revenge on you. This world maybe infected with scum like Dr. Eggman and the GUN army, but deep down inside this sickness is a cure to this madness, in the form of a select few people like you. Sonic, Tails, Rouge, Amy, Cream and Cheese... if you and your egg-laying mammal friend are capable of changing my heart, which would've been considered beyond saving by other people's standards, then surely you can change the heart's of the world's people, even GUN, as well."

"Come on," Sonic said as he blushed nervously, "we didn't do it to get all the glory, you know."

"Yeah," said Amy, "we did it because, as you said, we wanted to shape the world in a positive way, even if it meant facing impossible odds that would've killed us if we weren't careful."

"I'm glad to have you as my new Marias," said Shadow, as he and the rest of us laughed in unison.

Our laughter was cut short, as we heard the floor shaking violently underneath our feet. "Um, guys," said Knuckles.

"What," we said in unison, as we faced Knuckles to discover a giant bio lizard, menacingly facing him and the rest of us as it stood on top of the Master Emerald shrine. The Bio Lizard then whipped its tail at Knuckles, knocking him backward toward us.

"It's that thing we saw in the blueprints on that computer," cried Knuckles as he slowly got back up.

"It has a name, you know," said Eggman to us, "and it shares the same name as the fake hedgehog you've befriended."

"As in me," Shadow asked.

"Of course," said Eggman. "According to my old man's research, Gerald created a prototype version of Shadow, the Bio Lizard, as a protector of Earth, until it proved too dangerous for anyone to use, so he had it imprisoned. After watching you get hauled away against your will, Shadow, and killed your girlfriend, Maria, he reprogrammed the prototype-you into overriding the ARK's systems any time someone like us would interfere."

"So," said Shadow, "we have to fight the original me to get the ARK back into orbit."

"That thing is much more an idiot than anyone of us could imagine," said Sonic. "We've cheated death so many times that we would become living demi-gods! If we can do all that, then I don't see why we can't defy death again by fighting the prototype Shadow." He then faced us and said, "Are you ready, guys?"

"Yeah," we said in unison.

"I have a mother and her best friend waiting for us back home," I said. "If we die, Mommy and Big will go with us unless we protect them with our lives!"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Let's do this," said Shadow, "for everyone; Gerald, Maria, Cream's family, all of us here! We've got a planet to save!"

All of us, Shadow and even Eggman in his exe-skeleton included, would fight the Bio Lizard. It had a powerful bite and a tail-whip, and can summon eggs to harm us. However, it was nine-on-one, and after a long time we've managed to defeat it in battle.

As the Bio Lizard roared in pain, it grabbed the Master Emerald and used its powers to warp itself out of here, disappearing right in front of us in a flash of light.

Confused, Sonic said, "Did we win?"

"Perhaps I haven't told you this in the first place," said Eggman, "but in my old man's diary, the Bio Lizard also has the power to merge with the ARK to further override its controls, keeping it in its crash-course trajectory."

"To bad we left the Chaos Emeralds in the Eclipse Cannon's control room," said Sonic. "We could've used them to destroy that thing."

"I could've used my Chaos Control to warp us to the cannon's core," said Shadow, as he summoned a black portal behind him, "but I can always use my powers to get the Chaos Emeralds from the control room and come back with them."

"Then hurry up," said Knuckles. "We're grinding too much time here!"

Shadow disappeared behind the black portal, and after five seconds, reappeared from it while holding the seven Chaos Emeralds in his hands.

"That was quick," said Rouge.

"Eggman told me that you were a threat to his plans," Shadow said to Sonic, "because of your power to attain your super form with the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow gave Sonic the emeralds as he continued, "Why don't you prove to me everything Eggman said about you and use the emeralds to transform?"

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket," said Sonic, "I'll do it, just be patient!" The Chaos Emeralds would fly out of his hands and surround him, causing Sonic to turn his fur from blue to gold. He would hover above the ground, brimming with immense power.

"Now I see your potential," said Shadow. "I don't know how a normal forest-animal like you can attain a super form like me, an artificial lifeform built with Chaos Control. But, it doesn't matter now, does it?" Shadow would then absorb some of the Chaos Emeralds' powers himself, changing the color of his fur from black to gold as well, as he also floated in the air, brimming with power.

Sonic and Shadow would fly out of the cannon's core, while the rest of us followed them. They were too fast for us to follow, but there was a nearby window we could use to watch Sonic and Shadow's final battle against the giant Bio Lizard, who merged with the ARK to become more powerful than it already is. The Bio Lizard would fire lasers from its mouth and attack the two hedgehogs with pink eggs, but despite its immense powers and deadly attacks, it was barely a match for Super Sonic and Super Shadow, who would kill it after several hits.

As it died and disappeared into nothingness, Sonic and Shadow would grab ahold of the ARK and use Chaos Control to warp it back into orbit, preventing another disaster from happening.


	11. Epilogue

Sonic Adventure 2

Cream the Rabbit's story

Epilogue

The final battle has ended. The original Shadow, the Bio Lizard, was destroyed by Sonic and Shadow in their super forms. We've saved the world again, especially my Mommy and Big. By now, though, Mommy and Big are thankful that they've been saved by me and my friends, along with the world, yet are probably worried that I died saving them.

As for Eggman, during the final battle, Knuckles found an emergency escape rope hidden somewhere in the ARK, and used it to tie up Eggman so that he wouldn't escape or stab us in the backs.

However, after warping the ARK back into orbit with Super Sonic, Super Shadow would waste so much power from warping it back to orbit that he would fall into a coma. We watched in horror as Shadow was falling into the Earth's atmosphere, but at the last second, with the last of his remaining Chaos powers, Super Sonic would fly to Shadow and grab his comatose body, preventing him from falling and burning into the Earth's atmoshere. Flying back to the ARK, Sonic would then, a few minutes later, come back to us in his normal form, carrying a comatose Shadow, also in his normal form.

"Sonic," Amy said, as Sonic placed Shadow's comatose body on the ground, "we thought you and Shadow would die in battle!"

"Tell us," I said, "is Shadow going to be okay?"

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"Well," said Sonic, "you did see me rescue him from falling into the Earth's atmosphere, and even though he's unconscious from using up too much of his Chaos Control powers, he's still breathing." He then looked at Eggman, tied in a rope, as he continued, "Why is Eggman like this?"

"Don't mind him," said Knuckles. "I thought that Eggman would eventually dispose of us once we save the very world he wished to conquer. So, just to be safe, I tied him with that emergency escape rope I've found conveniently placed somewhere in the ARK while you and Shadow fought the Bio Lizard. That way, he won't do anything stupid to us."

"I tried to resist," said Eggman, "but during our struggle, Knuckles snatched my wrist-watch, which gave me the ability to instantly suit-up in my exo-skeleton, so that I wouldn't fight back. Seriously, you forest-animals are even more a threat to my plans than I could think."

"Did you have any thoughts of betraying us, though," said Sonic.

"No," said Eggman. Knuckles would punch Eggman in the stomach, as the fat scientist kneeled down, writhing in pain from Knuckles' punch, as he then confessed, "Okay, okay. I still have that desire to dispose of you and your new fake hedgehog friend once this mess is all cleaned up! Why couldn't you just leave me alone?"

"Because," said Knuckles, "we still have to take you down and imprison you for your crimes."

"And that's why I hate you forest-animals," said Eggman, "because you're all thorns on my backside!"

"Ungh," groaned Shadow's voice. We would turn around and see Shadow slowly sit up from the floor, as he then said, "What happened?"

"Shadow," we cried in unison, as all of us ran up to Shadow and hugged him out of relief.

"I'm glad for your concern," said Shadow, "but you're squeezing me to hard!"

"Oh," I said, "sorry."

As we released Shadow from our hug, Sonic then said, "Tell us, do you remember anything when I rescued you from falling into the Earth's atmosphere?"

"You," said Shadow, "rescued me? Of course I do, Sonic! One moment I attempted to kill you, destroy the world, and commit suicide, the next moment you and your friends convinced me to live my life freely and peacefully as a normal forest-animal, like you guys, without the need to die or kill anyone. After that, we battled the prototype version of me to the death, and warped..." He then looked at Eggman and said, "Why is Eggman tied by a rope?"

"It's because we still didn't trust him," said Knuckles. "He still has that desire to kill us and conquer the world, so I had him tied up, and once we leave we're sending him to prison."

"Funny," said Shadow, as he said to Eggman, "I thought that after that whole incident, you'd redeem yourself the same way my new friends did with me."

"Nope," said Eggman. "I still have that desire to conquer the world and exact my revenge on your new forest-animals friends for constantly defeating me. But one day, I _will_ escape my prison and become more powerful than even you and your new friends!"

"Even though you'd be defeated by us again, like always," asked Rouge.

"Damn you to Hell," replied Eggman.

Sonic would outstretch his hand to Shadow, as the black hedgehog grabbed his hand and slowly got pulled back up on his feet. As Shadow smiled, he then said to us, "You know, when I lost all my power and went into a coma, I saw Maria in my dreams. She had me fulfill one last favor for her and her grandfather, and that's to forget my past, including Gerald and Maria themselves."

"Why," asked Tails.

"Because," said Shadow, "if I clinged on to Gerald, Maria, and the rest of my tragic past, I would never find true happiness or be with you guys as your new best friend. Maria's right, I do need to put my past behind me, and focus on protecting you guys right now, because you saved my life and redeemed me from that psychotic suicidal maniac with no friends, to a normal hedgehog with a free life, compassion for all life, even his own, and friends to protect him. I was reluctant at first, because Gerald and Maria were my sources of true happiness. But they were dead, and it was too late for them, and thinking about them would only worsen my problems. If I were to find new friends to protect with my life, namely you guys, I might live a wholly new, happier life, and even help you change the lives and hearts of Earth's people, the GUN army included."

"Yeah right," said Eggman. "However, even if you..."

"Live a free life as a citizen," said Shadow, "the GUN army will hunt me down and kill me along with my new friends as punishment for sympathizing with me?"

"Yeah," said Eggman. "How did you know?"

"You said it before when I first sided with Sonic and his friends," replied Shadow. "You maybe a bastard and an incredibly powerful one to boot, but you're also a predictable bastard."

"Ungh," said Eggman.

"I _will_ live a free life," Shadow said to Eggman, "and my actions _will_ prove to GUN that I can live a normal life as a free forest-animal with thoughts and emotions, just as Gerald, Maria, and my new forest-animal friends intended me to do! It may take some time, and my new friends and I could be accused by GUN and killed on sight, but as long as we don't give up on our lives and the lives of others, then the people within that military organization _will_ change like I have, because Sonic and his friends - my new friends - have the power to change the world positively!"

"We can't change the world without you, your Chaos Control, and your new, normal, free life, you know," Sonic said to Shadow.

"Yeah," I said. "We could always use another extra hand to change the world."

"Chao, chao," said Cheese.

"After all," said Rouge, "you combined your Chaos Control with our limitless faith and friendship to destroy the Bio Lizard and warp the ARK back into orbit."

"If you can live a normal life as a regular forest-animal," said Amy, "then your normal, everyday actions as a regular forest-animal can change the world, even the hearts of the GUN army, just as much as we can!"

"Then I guess you've just added me into your friends-list," said Shadow. "I'll do my best to live a free, normal life, protecting you and everyone else from any threat to your lives, provided that you _really do_ change the world with your actions."

"Thanks, Shadow," said Tails.

"Come on," said Sonic. "Cream's old lady and giant friend are probably waiting for us to celebrate our saving Shadow and the world."

"Right," said Knuckles, "and we need to imprison Eggman on Earth."

"Okay," the rest of us said in unison, as we left the ARK to go back to Earth with Eggman in our grasp, and Shadow as our new friend. We were glad to have saved Shadow and make him our new friend, just as he was glad to have us as his new source of happiness to replace Gerald and Maria.


End file.
